Month: November 2017

A common injury when falling on an outstretched thumb, or while skiing is euphemistically referred to as the “Skier’s Thumb” and not so long ago was referred to as the “Games Keepers Thumb”. This injury involves a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpal phalangeal joint of the thumb, resulting in ulnar sided laxity of the joint to more than 45 degrees in radial deviation. This can be accompanied by a mass effect in this area commonly referred to as the Stener lesion, which occurs when the adductor pollicis fascia becomes stuck under the ulnar collateral ligament after it is torn. A Stener lesion almost always requires a surgical repair of this torn ligament by a hand surgeon.