Skiers thumb - aftercare

More about Your Injury

Thumb sprains can be mild to severe. They are ranked by how much the ligament is pulled or torn away from the bone.

• Grade 1: Ligaments are stretched, but not torn. This is a mild injury.This can improve with some light stretching.
• Grade 2: Ligaments are partially torn. This injury may require wearing a splint or a cast for 5 to 6 weeks.
• Grade 3: Ligaments are completely torn. This is a severe injury that usually requires surgery.

Injuries that are not treated properly can lead to long-term weakness, pain or arthritis.

An x-ray may also show if the ligament has pulled off a piece of bone. This is called an avulsion fracture.

What to Expect

Common symptoms are:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Bruising
• A weaker pinch or problems grabbing things when you use your thumb

If surgery is needed, the ligament is reconnected to the bone.

• If your bone is broken, a pin will be used to put it in place.
• After surgery your hand and forearm will be in a cast or splint for 6 - 8 weeks.

Relieving Your Symptoms

Make an ice pack by putting ice in a zip lock plastic bag and wrapping a cloth around it.

• Do no put the bag of ice directly on your skin—it could damage your skin.
• Ice your thumb for about 20 minutes every hour while awake for the first 48 hrs, then 2-3 times a day.

For pain, you can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and others) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and others). You can buy these medications without a prescription.

• Do not use these medications for the first 24 hours after your injury. They may increase the risk of bleeding.
• If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney disease, liver disease, or have had stomach ulcers or bleeding, talk with your health care provider before using these medicines.
• Do not take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or more than your health care provider advises you to take.

Follow-up

As you recover, your health care provider will check how well your thumb is healing. He or she will tell you when you can remove your cast or splint and start doing your normal activities.

Activity

At some point as you recover, your health care provider will ask you to begin exercises to regain movement and strength in your thumb. This may be as soon as 3 weeks or as long 8 weeks after your injury.

When you restart an activity after a sprain, build up slowly. If your thumb begins to hurt, stop using it for a while.

When to Call the Doctor

Call your health care provider or go to the emergency room right away if you have:

• Severe pain
• Weakness in your thumb
• Numb or cold fingers

Also call your health care provider if you have concerns about how well your thumb is healing.

Alternate Names

Sprained thumb, stable thumb,ulnar collateral ligament injury, gamekeeper’s thumb

References

Lyn ET, Mailhot T. Hand. In: Marx JA. ed. Rosen’s Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7^thed. Philadelphia, Pa. Mosby Elsevier, 2009: chap 47.

Update Date: 7/4/2012

Updated by: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.