What causes skier's thumb?

Any injury that causes stretching, and potentially rupturing, of the ligament, such as collisions during contact sport, falling from bicycles and skiing injuries while holding a ski pole. The injury is also seen in car accidents when the driver is operating the steering wheel with the thumb draped over it.

Symptoms of skier's thumb

The predominant symptoms of skier's thumb include; pain in the web space between the thumb and index finger; swelling and bruising of the thumb; weakness when gripping with the thumb and index finger.

If you have had an accident and experience any skier's thumb symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

Treatment options for skier's thumb

In making a diagnosis, a doctor is likely to ask you some questions about the nature of your injury, conduct a physical examination comparing your injured thumb to your uninjured thumb, an examination of the rest of the arm, and an x-ray of the hand to check for any fractures. Sometimes further imaging, such as an MRI or ultrasound scan may be requested to obtain more information about the ligament.

Some of these injuries can be treated non-surgically in a plaster for around six weeks. If the ligament is completely ruptured, then surgery may be recommended, this would typically involve repairing the ligament or reattaching it to the bone.

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