Skier's Thumb?

Any one have any experiences with it?

I think I have it! (and am scheduled to see a hand specialist early next week; have spoken with his PA and have a list of things to do for self care in the meantime)

Not looking for medical advice, just any experience anyone wishes to share regarding severity of thier injury and rehab time.

Oh, and naturally I ask because I'm not planning to stop skiing this winter!!!



Tx.

I sprained a thumb the last Saturday in March. It took about 6 months before it was back to 100%. I've probably sprained thumbs a half-dozen times over the years. No big deal.

Good Luck - Skier's Thumb is an acute injury that occurs when a skier falls while his or her wrist is strapped to a ski pole. During the fall, the tendency is to try to release the pole and extend the hand to break the fall. This leaves the thumb extended with the pole resting in the web space between the thumb and the index finger. The thumb is then hyperextended and deviated to the side (abducted) at the moment of impact. This results in an injury to the ligament on the inside of the thumb that is responsible for stabilizing the thumb during pinch and grip. This same injury can occur when the skier plants the pole and fails to clear it again as they progress forward.

Treatment
These injuries produce few long-term problems when they are treated early and appropriately. They are however, often "self-treated" with hope that "it is just a sprain and it will get better with time …" When these injuries are presented to the physician in the chronic phase, the treatment results are far less satisfying.

Treatment in the acute phase will depend on the severity of the injury. This will be determined by physical examination and x-ray evaluation that may include special x-rays taken while stressing the ligament. If the injury is determined to be a sprain (partial tear), treatment will usually consist of 4 - 6 weeks of bracing ina specially molded splint. Activity modifications may be minimal during this time. For more severe sprains and some complete tears, a cast may be applied for 4 - 6 weeks.

In a significant number of cases, complete tears require surgery to correct the problem. Fortunately this surgery has an excellent success rate with almost no functional deficit following healing.

The real key in minimizing the potential problems associated with this injury is early evaluation and appropriate treatment. This approach will facilitate your earliest return to your sporting activities.

una_dogger said:

Any one have any experiences with it?



Tx.

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What is your specific malady and what caused it? I can think of at least 3 different scenarios. Was it part of a spill? How do you hold your pole?

it is also known as keepers thumb from soccer. both of my are messed up.

Gotten it from both skiing and volleyball (bad sets.) Depending on how bad it is, goes away in a few days (my left thumb is about back to normal from last Friday) to weeks (what I'm expecting for my right thumb from yesterday.) Had good luck last year, not so much this year.

this happened to me two days ago at berkshire east! i had no idea it had name. I was thinking it was jammed. I tried hucking off a pretty sizeable cliff (maybe 8-10 feet) , fell and hit my thumb on the ground.

mondeo said:

Gotten it from both skiing and volleyball (bad sets.) Depending on how bad it is, goes away in a few days (my left thumb is about back to normal from last Friday) to weeks (what I'm expecting for my right thumb from yesterday.) Had good luck last year, not so much this year.

Click to expand...

forgot about setting. i have done that trying to set of a hit.

I did that to my right hand (luckily I'm left handed) on my second day out this year... I iced it, and have been doing strengthening exercises on it, it's about 85-90% now.

-w

mine was so bad in highschool that could open my thumb but couldnt close it.

Not sure on how you are holding your ski poles. The best way to hold your poles to reduce the chances of injuring your thumb is to put your hand through your strap than grab the strap between your thumb and finger and than grab the handle on the pole. It's as if you are holding the strap and the pole at the same time. The reason this works if you take a fall and let go of the pole your entire hand will be free from the ski pole.

I found this on YouTube....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuUBKKsXHTg

hardline said:

it is also known as keepers thumb from soccer. both of my are messed up.

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Wromg - The term is GAMEKEEPERS Thumb, and that is a totally different injury from skiers thumb. The name goes back hundreds of years - long before downhill skiing...

Both skier's and gamekeeper's thumb need proper evaluation and usually immobilization or they may not heal. N0 thumb = No Fu.

Go see the MD, preferably an orthopedic hand specialist

Good summary, 2Planker.

2Planker said:

In a significant number of cases, complete tears require surgery to correct the problem. Fortunately this surgery has an excellent success rate with almost no functional deficit following healing.

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I had, unfortunately, one of the "complete tear" & "require surgery" injuries. Lacrosse injury way back when. Rehab was tough, with thumb function taking a LONG time to come back to 95%, with years needed to get to 99% (where it remains to this day).

I NEVER ski with my pole straps on....EVER. I also use Lexi poles that are adjustable and have a shock absorption system. Love the adjustable part, and love the shock absorption part. Using some non-shock absorbing poles a few years ago I was amazed at the comparative intensity of each pole plant "impact".

Anyways, good luck. Definitely get the medical pros on it.

una_dogger said:

Any one have any experiences with it?

I think I have it! (and am scheduled to see a hand specialist early next week; have spoken with his PA and have a list of things to do for self care in the meantime)

Not looking for medical advice, just any experience anyone wishes to share regarding severity of thier injury and rehab time.

Oh, and naturally I ask because I'm not planning to stop skiing this winter!!!



Tx.

Click to expand...

Oh, that skiers thumb----skiers thumb is how I used to get to the hill as a kid

smootharc said:

I NEVER ski with my pole straps on....EVER.

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After my injury earlier this year I've converted to this method.

I'll just buy new poles if I lose them.

I'd rather loose hundreds of sets of poles than 1 thumb (or 1 thumb's function).

-w

Wow -- what a great thread of responses!
Thanks very much!

Creeky Knees; watched the video and I have been making the critical error of putting my hands through my straps WRONG -- which lead to this injury....bad bunny, bad bad ski bunny....

Well - I will know on tuesday the extent of the injury -- hopefully its not too severe. Speaking from past experience, I have broken a hand before and that pain was intense -- I actually don't have too much pain with this injury; a ton of swelling and seriously ugly bruising, and some point pain on the knuckle at the top of the thumb, but no pain at the base of the thumb or in the palm/index region, so fingers are crossed for good news!

Thx again!

my wife did this two years ago while just goofing off while skiing with my nephew . She fell and put her hand down to break the fall. She basically ripped the tendon right of the thumb bone. You could even see the bunched up tendon, looked like a small ball under her skin. She had maybe 10% strength in her thumb gripping capability. Orthoscopic surgery fixed it fine. They drilled a small hole in the thumb bone and reattached the tendon. After physical therapy she's back 100%.

una_dogger said:

I have been making the critical error of putting my hands through my straps WRONG -- which lead to this injury....bad bunny, bad bad ski bunny....

Click to expand...

My fault, because I taught her what I had been taught, which is to just reach through for downhill skiing, but to do the hand-over-strap grab-both method for cross-country, where it gives you extra leverage for polling. I had no idea to use the latter method for downhill as well.

..thumb..

Una,
Go have it looked at...x-rays if you can...
I've had before, but sat on whole hand/wrist two years+ ago...broke liffle bone in thumb...takes a long time to regain total strength, better to assess damage now than risk the end of this season..Or NEXT!
A hockey glove that fits can work well..lets the top of hand (w/paddling) take all hits..and protects outer/base-of thumb. Palms are thin with pseudo-leather, thus usually will stay warm and let you hold pole....*but to avoid risky situations...commune with the kiddies on the flatter trails...at least for a while..imo

$.01
STeveD

CreekyKnees said:

Not sure on how you are holding your ski poles. The best way to hold your poles to reduce the chances of injuring your thumb is to put your hand through your strap than grab the strap between your thumb and finger and than grab the handle on the pole. It's as if you are holding the strap and the pole at the same time. The reason this works if you take a fall and let go of the pole your entire hand will be free from the ski pole.

I found this on YouTube....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuUBKKsXHTg

Click to expand...

I might have to try this. I have broken my thumb 8 or 9 times. I keep wearing the splint they put on me the first time I broke it. I usually wear the splint for a week or 2 and it goes away. My right hand thumb is no joke two times the size of my left thumb because it has been broken so many times.

For my next career I am going to join the circus and be the freak with the abnormally large thumb.