UKC

Anyone ever had a skier's thumb injury before? I fell off my bike last week at next-to-no-speed, picked myself up and thought I was fine until I noticed my thumb at a pretty alarming angle. Without thinking I shoved it back in place and thought it was back to normal. After an hour it was obviously not fine and I went off to A and E. Today I found out I've snapped my UCL, so surgery for me and no climbing for a long while!

Has anyone else had this injury before and if so how did your recovery go? Remember how long before you were climbing again? It'd be nice if I could be back for the winter season but I'm not sure it'll happen. In the mean time, I'm going to try and beat every running PB I have!

In reply to Mr Fuller: It's also known as Game keepers Thumb. I had the same injury myself although mine was badly damaged rather than snapped (when the joint was isolated I could bend my thumb back an alarming way). After having the scans and finding out it wasn't snapped I was given a brace to isolate and support the thumb and wrist and then a course of Physio. If I had snapped it I was told that worst case senario would be that would have to fuse my thumb in place so I would no longer be able to bend it!

The brace worked but it appears to have created some other long term problems as I now have intermitent wrist and middle finger pain (my thumb doesn't ache or hurt at all). I modified the Physio I was given for my thumb and wrist and this helps but the injury itself was over 2 years ago now.

I was able to climb after about 9m as although I could climb I couldn't safely belay. I then aggreviated the injury in January of this year and I'm just about over that now (appart from the on going pain as mentioned).

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but recovery for me has been a slow process. Maybe if you do have surgery recovery will be quicker and with no long term problems.....as long as they don't fuse it.

In reply to SGD: Okay, thanks for that. I don't think they'll fuse my thumb, but I will soon find out. I've read enough stuff on it today to write a book but was interested to hear the experiences of other climbers. I thought it would be a long road to recovery. Pinch strength (one of the few things I'm good at) is obviously at rock bottom right now... Hope your injury gets better soon and you manage to sort out any lasting problems.

In reply to Mr Fuller: I can climb thats the main thing, I've actually found that climbing helps as long as I don't go mad. And yes my pinch strength in my left hand is way down on my right (I'm a lefty btw).

Good luck

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Ah, bad luck. Have you actually snapped it or has it broken off the bone - with a bit of bone still attached to the end of it. The latter happened to me about 15 years ago. The immediate effects are the same ie you thumb doesn't work and it hurts, but the recovery is quicker and easier. Mine involved no surgery - my doc made a cast around my hand - holding a ski pole (it was the middle of the ski season!) - which I could slip on and off. The bone fused back within weeks and I could climb again.

In reply to jon: I've actually snapped the ligament I'm afraid so surgery's the only real option as I understand it.

Typically, because it's on my right hand, I'm right-handed.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Oh, well I hope it goes well then.

In reply to jon: Long-term have you noticed any difference at all? I've just found a fairly positive-sounding American thread with people climbing as good as ever after a year, which doesn't sound tooo bad. Luckily I'm not a skier, and never plan to be if it gives you injuries like this one!

In reply to jon: Thanks

In reply to Mr Fuller:

No, in the long term no difference at all. Pinch strength was fine. Mind you now I've got basal joint arthritis in both thumbs, which is excruciatingly painful, but the good news for you is that it's nothing to do with the injury at all!

In reply to jon: Oh that sounds okay for me then. I googled basal joint arthritis though and that doesn't sound like fun. Hope it's not too bad.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

This injury is called Hillend Thumb up here due to the number of folks who've injured their thumb on the matting at the local dry slope (aka Hillend).

I dislocated / broke my thumb 5 years back (ligaments were intact as far as I know) and would strongly recommend making sure you do all the physio you're given. I saw a frightening example of someone who didn't (a boxer) and he could barely bend his thumb as a result. 5 years on I still have slight stiffness from time to time and a squint thumb (the bones set wonky) but it works fine. I still climb just as crap as ever so can't use the thumb as an excuse

Good luck with the surgery/recovery.

In reply to Fiona Reid: Yes, I'll definitely persevere with physio - I've experience of it making a massive difference to other injuries.

I climb just as crap as you, so if I'm back to that level at some point I'll be happy Thanks

In reply to Mr Fuller: Any others stories on this injury...?

In reply to Mr Fuller:
Similar treatment to Jon's after skiers thumb breaks with flake fracture - a cast holding ski poles!!!
I've knackered both sides following ski falls on hard ice!
I first injured my thumb over 25 years ago. The joints ache if I rest my thumbs on my rucksack hip belt or harnesst and pinching pulling small objects like sewing needles are difficult.
I now avoid bikes with thumb gear shifts or holding onto the handle bars on rough ground. I also make sure I take my hands out of the wrist staps when skiing when there is a possibility of falling! Ice axe braking is difficult too and I curl my fingers round the shaft to protect my thumbs.
As for climbing I'll avoid pinch grips if I can manage another technique and rope coiling can be sore but other than that after more than twenty years I don't really notice it too much until I see your post!

In reply to Ron Walker: Thanks for that. Yes, it seems to be that it can affect things long-term in weird ways that you may barely notice after a while. If yourself and Jon, in very physically-activity jobs, are doing okay then that's a good sign.

I went in for surgery today but got stuck in a queue behind emergency patients. I'm back in tomorrow. The good thing is that the surgeon I'm getting is a climber so understands the needs of his patient!

In reply to Mr Fuller: I did mine 3 times in 7 years but the last time was over 20 years ago. It was very painful but with the right physio you get a full recovery. I was able to carry on climbing at my old grade, skiing and all my other activities.
It now hurts in damp weather and I tend to favour it when skiing, taking hands out of straps on my poles. Cycling is not a problem at all. I don't think it is a disaster but it will take a fair few months to fully recover.

In reply to Mr Fuller:

I had ligament reconstruction surgery in both thumbs (one skiing, one football) around 8-9 years ago. I wasn't into climbing at the time so can't answer how long it would take to start climbing but I seem to remember something around 6 weeks to start using it.

I could be wrong though, it's so long ago I can't remember - I do remember being weaker for a while (eg unscrewing bottles) but not sure if it was loss of strength or the fact that I was a bit sore. I do vividly remember that I felt a bit unsure of opening it/extending it too much at first - I remember not wrapping my thumb around a ping glass at first and holding it with 4 fingers.

I got into climbing a few years later, I thought it would be a handicap as I was left with the mental impression of having weak thumbs but can't say it was a problem. Hurts a bit when holding on for dear life and overdoing it but probably would have hurt anyway.

I am no doctor but I would have thought that you'll need a few months before being able to climb and then a few months to build strength up - winter sounds a bit tight, especially for climbing really hard at the level you used to. I'd guess that in winter you'll be on your way of building strength back up. Obviously your doctor should be able to advise further but don't forget that these guys don't always understand what climbing involves.

I know it sucks but it's worth taking the time to rehabilitate it properly and gradually build up strength etc to minimise the chances of problems. If I were you I'd start strength exercises as soon as the doctor gives you the ok to do so (start slow and nothing that risks damaging it obviously) and regarding climbing, I'd probably do some super easy climbing at a wall for a bit.

I do seem to remember my doctor saying that I can do 'everything' as soon as the bandages/stitches came off so your doctor might say the same but it sounds to me that going straight back to hard routes after loss of strength is not the best idea. I never fully understood what the reconstruction exactly does and whether you can actually 'strengthen' the structure they put in place - worth asking to understand...

In reply to SGD:

No it's not. Game keepers thumb is a tendinopathy due to repeated strangling of game birds. Skiers thumb is an acute injury of the UCL

In reply to vark:
Yes it is, gamekeepers thumb was a UCL rupture, which then led to chronic insufficiency of the joint. In that sense it was less acute than skiers thumb, but the same initial injury. Apparently coined in 1955 by Campbell (according to emedicine)

Sorry, not much useful to add to the OP.

In reply to damowilk: I only tore mine - and not completely - and although my pinching is still a little down on that hand everything else was (sore but) okay after three months. Even closed crimping. I know that might not help but towards the end of your getting better you'll be able to climb anything without unavoidable pinching...

In reply to Mr Fuller: Thanks all, there's some really good advice there. I'll see how it goes and keep things updated on here in case anyone else suffers this injury and wants an idea of progress.

In reply to Mr Fuller: It turns out the ligament had not snapped but had in fact become disconnected from the bone. Surgery's now done and it went well. Big cast on now and a very painful thumb!

In reply to Mr Fuller: May I wish you a speedy recovery

In reply to Mr Fuller:

Great, that should be a lot quicker.

In reply to SGD and jon: Thanks very much guys.