Symptoms of a Broken Thumb
- Severe pain at the fracture site
- Swelling
- Limited or no ability to move the thumb
- Extreme tenderness
- A misshapen or deformed look to the thumb
- Numbness or coldness in the thumb
Treatment of a Broken Thumb
See a doctor as soon as possible. Without immediate treatment, the joint will be
unstable and you will be unable to grip or pinch properly. Continued swelling may make it
more difficult to align the bones properly. Delayed treatment will make the fracture much
more difficult to treat and can lead to a poor outcome. Use a padded splint to prevent the
bone from moving further out of alignment is encouraged prior to definitive treatment.
The physician will examine the injury, take your medical history and have X-rays taken
of the injury. You may need surgery, depending on the location of the fracture and the
amount of movement between the broken pieces of bone. If there is little movement
(displacement) or if the break is located in the middle (shaft) of the bone, an
orthopaedist may be able to use a specially designed cast (spica cast) to hold the bone
fragments in place. You will have to wear the cast for at least four to six weeks, and
your doctor may request regular X-rays to ensure that the bone hasn’t slipped out of
alignment.
Often, Bennett and other more severe fractures of the thumb require surgical treatment.
The hand surgeon may use one of several operative fixation techniques to restore boney
anatomy and hold the bones in place while they heal. These techniques include the use of
wire, pins, plates and screws as internal fixation. Another technique uses pins in bone
that exit the skin and are attached to an external fixation device You will likely be
required to wear a cast or splint for two to six weeks after surgery. When the cast is
removed, your physician may recommend hand therapy to restore movement. It can take three
months or more to regain full use of the hand, depending on the severity of the injury.
October 2003
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Society for Surgery of the Hand |
