Be Careful - Broken Thumbs

[Rambo]

I always read that broken thumbs were the most common skier injury. I always thought that it was awkward clummsy, accident prone people who when falling would stick their arm out to break a fall and then break their thumb.

But this is not the case. I fell hard in March of 2009 and landed hard, chest first pinning my left hand underneath, with my hand still clutching the hand grip of the ski pole. WELL... it turns out this is called a skiers thumb injury and is caused by the force of the fall and the impact of the grip on the rear socket area of your thumb. I had 2 big fractures at the rear of my thumb and also a dislocation. Needed surgery to get dislocation straightened out... total cost of injury... $8,000. Thumb is now fine.

Just saying if you fall try to release your poles if you can.

What can happen if your hand is gripping the ski poles hand-grip and takes a big impact: is fractues at the rear base socket area of the thumb, dislocations, and the web tendon can also be ripped. Thank God I did not also rip my web tendon.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Also you need to use the straps of your pole correctly. If the strap goes over your thumb, and the pole gets caught on something it can break the thumb. You want your hand to go over the strap. The strap will go up your arm if the pole gets caught, and when in the flats your hand pulls down on the strap, rather than having to grip the pole very tight.

the hand/strap position is hard to describe. Sorry.

 

[mondeo]

Also you need to use the straps of your pole correctly. If the strap goes over your thumb, and the pole gets caught on something it can break the thumb. You want your hand to go over the strap. The strap will go up your arm if the pole gets caught, and when in the flats your hand pulls down on the strap, rather than having to grip the pole very tight.

the hand/strap position is hard to describe. Sorry.

 

[Rambo]

Also you need to use the straps of your pole correctly. If the strap goes over your thumb, and the pole gets caught on something it can break the thumb. You want your hand to go over the strap. The strap will go up your arm if the pole gets caught, and when in the flats your hand pulls down on the strap, rather than having to grip the pole very tight.

the hand/strap position is hard to describe. Sorry.

Actually, I did, indeed have the straps through my hands the correct way. However after my broken thumb incident I have removed the straps completly. The one time I fell since, I didn't get hurt but did not release poles either... seems natural to keep on gripping the poles in a fall.

 

[deadheadskier]

I crashed 10 years ago and put a hairline fracture in my thumb. It was the middle of the season and I was a bartender. Only fix was to mobilize it. Doing so would have made my job extremely difficult. Plus I didn't have health insurance.

To this day, if I even jam that same thumb slightly, like hitting a volley ball wrong, it swells up and hurts like a mofo for days.

 

[vonski]

This is why they stop making those grips on the poles that were not straps, but were fixed and your hand slipped in between them. I used to love those poles even though they were thumb busters. Never did hurt myself and someone else must have liked them too as they got ripped off at Mt. Ellen early season when downloading in Dec. 2006.

I did once strain both thumbs when mountain biking and went over the handle bars when hitting the second of two water bars at way to fast a speed. Had to wear braces on both hands for about 2 months and full strength took almost a year. Felt like an old man when trying to grip and open up a jar.

I usually yard sale my poles when falling!!!

 

[dmc]

Put me in the F'd up thumb club..
Back when I was a bump skier I bashed my thumb and I never put my whole hands through the straps just my fingers.. i think it happened during a violent crash... But it hurt for a loooooooooooooooong time..

I feel for you..

Also had a bruised kneecap from bump skiing falls that hurt forever too...

 

[Smellytele]

I never use the straps when skiing actually took them off. I do have a pair for when I back country that still have straps but only use the straps going up hill.

 

[wa-loaf]

Just got a pair of Leki poles with the break away straps. Interested to see how they perform when I crash.

 

[deadheadskier]

out of curiosity, why have straps at all if they break away? seems odd to me

 

[downhill04]

Add another one to the busted thumb club. For some reason I have always clutched onto my poles during falls. I have broken the thumb on my right hand 7 times. I guess I really need to learn how to stay on my feet.:dunce:

 

[wa-loaf]

out of curiosity, why have straps at all if they break away? seems odd to me

It takes a lot to break away, so they have the benefit of having straps, but when you say sink your pole 1/2 way into a spring mogul you don't tweak your arm or break your pole.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Just got a pair of Leki poles with the break away straps. Interested to see how they perform when I crash.

They work ok for that purpose. I wish they came off a bit easier at times. I sprained my thumb twice last winter in crashes, but I doubt if the pole is to blame.

I have 3 pairs of Lekis and love the easy in and out of the straps. I have a SL pair from a few years ago, a GS pair for racing, and picked up a carbon pair last spring to replace the SL pair as my every day pole. I like to have my straps on tight when skiing. Lots of lifties would yell at me to take off my poles when loading, and this would require redoing my straps every run, kinda annoying. With the Leki straps I am in/out of the pole in a split second while having tight straps.

 

[eatskisleep]

Learned that on the first day of Highschool Ski team several years ago... good advice for sure, I tell whoever I am skiing with about it...

 

[wa-loaf]

With the Leki straps I am in/out of the pole in a split second while having tight straps.

This I noticed was the best part. I'm also always fiddling with the straps in the start gate and sometimes lose the grip when taking off. This is going to make that a no brainer and hopefully give me faster starts.

 

[severine]

Add another one to the busted thumb club. For some reason I have always clutched only my poles during falls. I have broken the thumb on my right hand 7 times. I guess I really need to learn how to stay on my feet.:dunce:

You have really bad luck!

 

[downhill04]

You have really bad luck!

That about sums it up :smash: