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Thread: Broken thumb?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    1,951

    Broken thumb?

    Anyone have one before?

    I've had a broken elbow, but never broken a finger. Playing football at a cookout Saturday...In a brilliant display of defense, I swatted the ball away from the receiver, however, I also tried to break his kneecap with the tips of my fingers. Ouch. Actually played for another half hour or so. Let it go until Sunday afternoon, but I couldn't take the pain or swelling anymore. Suspicions confirmed.

    Managed to break the small bone above the joint in my right hand.

    Do fingers heal up pretty stable? ie: What are the chances for a recurring injury? A bit concerned, considering where the break is...And btw - not having a thumb to use really sucks.

    An important feature OF the hand, really. The thumb.



    edit: Lazing around the house under the influence of Vicodin & caffeine beats the hell out of work on a Monday morning.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    94
    I broke mine this past march. They needed to pin it together and cast it, and your right not having a thumb really sucks. So you might be in for a crappy 6 weeks. THe good news is it healed better then i ever would have hoped. When i got my cast off i thought there was no way in hell i was ever gonna be able to move it fully again, and by july i couldnt even notice i had broken it except for the 2 scars. Full mobility, full strengh.
    Best of luck to you

  3. #3
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    I broke my left thumb several years ago while skiing. I got the typical skier's thumb injury. I waited a day before I went to the doctor and was promptly put in a half-cast (didn't completely wrap around hand or wrist). I wore the cast for three weeks, which was three weeks too long.

    I am no longer double-jointed in my thumb but overall it healed completely. Good luck. Looks like you may be dating a stranger for a few weeks.

  4. #4
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    broken both thumbs twice. each one was re-broken. both breaks were avulsion (evulsion?) fractures where the tendon pulled a chunk of bone off. sometimes involving dislocation of other joints. one of them healed fine after i managed to stop colliding it with things, the other thumb never regained full ROM even after a bunch of PT. my nintendo playing has never been the same.

  5. #5
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    I broke my middle finger on my right hand about a month and a half ago, and it's healed up decently. It was a small break in the middle joint (finger got bent back too far) but it was big enough to be a pain in the ass.

    I had to keep it buddy taped full time to my ring and/or index finger for about a month, but now I just have to tape it when I'm on my bike or when doing any kind of exercise.

    Doc said that because fingers are not meant to take a lot of damage, they won't fully heal for 8-10 weeks, and they can remain swolen for up to a year.
    Last edited by dipstik; 08-09-2004 at 10:29 AM.

  6. #6
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    Feb 2006
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    Bump....

    I hit a tree with my thumb yesterday. Now the thumb portion of my palm is slightly bruised and swollen. I can't really move my thumb around much. My biggest concern (obviously) is being able to ride/ski. Anyone have some experience with this? Were you able to continue riding and/or skiing?
    “I mean god damn, who could believe that shit.” Greg Noll, Riding Giants

  7. #7
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    go get an x-ray.
    fighting gravity on a daily basis

    WhiteRoom Skis
    Handcrafted in Northern Vermont
    www.whiteroomcustomskis.com

  8. #8
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    I broke my thumb ~5-years ago. Started in a large hard cast for a little over a week before I asked to have it cut off since I couldn't work (I wasn't able to gown up to go into the clean room). I got a small plastic cast that was custom molded for my hand/wrist. I was able to fit a big pair of mittens over it, and I skied without any issues. Use your pole straps correctly, and they should support it fine.

  9. #9
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    Thanks Conner.
    “I mean god damn, who could believe that shit.” Greg Noll, Riding Giants

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grange View Post
    I broke my left thumb several years ago while skiing. I got the typical skier's thumb injury. I waited a day before I went to the doctor and was promptly put in a half-cast (didn't completely wrap around hand or wrist). I wore the cast for three weeks, which was three weeks too long.

    I am no longer double-jointed in my thumb but overall it healed completely. Good luck. Looks like you may be dating a stranger for a few weeks.
    I had what sounds like the same thing. After I hit the tree I shook it and said "ow". I am not double jointed anymore but to hell with a cast.
    its the whisky talking

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    1

    broken thumb

    My son broke his thumb above the growth plate. He wrestles and has some big tournaments coming up. What are his chances of being able to compete without reinjuring this thumb?

  12. #12
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    After four weeks in a cast, 100%

  13. #13
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    It depends on what kind of fracture you have: some are stable and heal with a cast/splint. Some are unstable. eg: Bennett and Rolando fractures.....google 'em.
    Every man dies. Not every man lives.
    You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.

  14. #14
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    Jan 2007
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    Those fractures are quite uncommon in children with open growth plates.

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