Injuries to the fingers are common. Since you constantly need your hands and fingers to grab things and are very important in everyday life and at work, injuries to your fingers including your thumb can be very disabling. Due to the constant use of your hands, it can also be explained that up to 40% of all occupational accidents involve hands and fingers. The thumb in particular is an important part of the hand. You need your thumb in everyday life to be able to grip properly. An injury to the thumb, let alone a broken thumb, can be particularly difficult.
- Broken thumb
- Causes
- Symptoms of a broken thumb
- Consult a doctor
- Examination and diagnosis
- Treatment of a broken thumb
- Non-surgical treatment
- Surgical treatments
- Prognosis
Broken thumb
A direct blow to the axis of the thumb, for example due to a fall from a bicycle or moped, is the most common cause of a thumb fracture. Signs of a broken finger or thumb include severe pain, swelling and deformity. An X-ray is necessary for diagnosis. A broken finger or thumb is immobilized for treatment. Surgery is usually not necessary.
Causes
Possible causes of a broken thumb include:
- getting your thumb between the door, for example a car door
- a direct blow in the axis direction of the thumb
- a punch
- a fall on the thumb (for example when cycling)
Symptoms of a broken thumb
Symptoms of a broken thumb include:
- swelling around the base of the thumb (swollen thumb)
- severe pain (sore thumb)
- limited or no ability to move the thumb
- extreme sensitivity
- deformed appearance
- cold or numb
Many of these symptoms can also occur with a severe thumb sprain or bruised thumb. A doctor can make the correct diagnosis.
Consult a doctor
It is wise to consult a doctor immediately if you suspect a broken or sprained thumb. Both types of injuries may require immobilization with a splint and surgery for treatment. Waiting too long for treatment can lead to unpleasant complications or delay the recovery process.
Examination and diagnosis
The doctor examines your thumb and its range of motion. The doctor will bend the thumb joint in different directions to determine if you have injured your ligaments as well. A thumb fracture can be diagnosed on the basis of X-rays.
Treatment of a broken thumb
The aim of the treatment is to restore the function of the thumb and hand. The fracture usually heals quickly, but it often takes longer for the adjacent soft tissue structures such as tendons, ligaments or joint capsule to fully recover. Stiffness and pain are often the result of finger injuries. The simultaneous treatment of these soft tissue structures is therefore important for a good treatment result.
Non-surgical treatment
If the bone fragments have not moved too far out of place, or if the fracture is in the middle of the bone shaft, then surgery is probably not necessary. The thumb base joint will then be placed in the correct position in a cast.
Surgical treatments
If the bone breaks in such a way that bone fragments protrude through the skin or a wound extends to the broken bone, surgery is often required. If there has been a lot of displacement of the bone fragments or if the fracture reaches the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint I, you will probably also need surgery to realign the bone. A surgeon who specializes in hand surgery will perform the surgical procedure. This may require holding the joint in place with temporary steel pins and/or fixing the bone parts.
Prognosis
Most thumb fractures can be treated without surgery. Rapid mobilization of the fingers is the ultimate goal of treatment to prevent painful stiffness. Targeted physical treatment and hand therapy should be started as soon as possible and can positively influence the healing process. Patients must take measures to prevent swelling from the first day of treatment, such as elevating the arm, cooling and painkillers. This leads to rapid pain relief and better blood circulation in the hand.
read more
- Sore thumb: causes and symptoms of pain in the thumb
- Bruised Thumb: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention
- Thumb tendonitis: symptoms, causes and treatment
- Skier’s thumb: symptoms, cause, (plaster) treatment and surgery
- Tingling thumb, index or middle finger: nerve compression