Patients who are treated nonsurgically with a thumb spica cast can start our Physical Therapy program when the cast is removed. Your thumb will be immobilized for four to six weeks in a special cast, called a thumb spica cast. If the thumb ligaments are only partially torn, they usually heal without surgery.
The goal of our treatment is to help the ligaments heal so that the thumb can be restored to full function. The MCP joint needs to be stable for the thumb to be strong enough to grasp objects. Related Document: FYZICAL Miami Beach's Guide to Hand Anatomy This can also lead to an unstable thumb joint if the fracture does not heal correctly. Sometimes the ligament itself will not tear but instead pulls a small piece of bone off the base of the thumb where it attaches. When this happens, surgery is needed to fix the ligament. If one of the ligaments pulls away from the bone and folds backwards, it won't be able to heal in the correct position.
It is especially unstable when the thumb is bent back. When the collateral ligaments actually tear, the MCP joint becomes very unstable. A complete tear is also called a rupture. If the force is too strong, the ligaments can tear. When the thumb is straight, the collateral ligaments are tight and stabilize the joint against valgus force.
Any hard force on the thumb that pulls the thumb away from the hand (called a valgus force) can cause damage to the ulnar collateral ligaments. Do not self-diagnosis or self-treat a torn ligament in the finger, you could make matters worse.The joint that is affected is called the metacarpophalangeal joint, or MCP joint. Where applicable, wear a mitt when playing sports such as hockey and baseball. It is important to allow your finger(s) the proper time to heal. If you have a tear of the ligament in the finger, avoid contact sports for at least 6-8 weeks. A torn ligament can be caused from a torn tendon, which may warrant surgery. Depending on the type or extent of the tear, surgery may be required.
For pain, taking medications such as acetaminophen or naproxen can help. Apply ice packs to the affected area to reduce swelling and bruising. It is key to keep your finger straight until the splint comes off. Most tears are treated with a finger split. Treating a torn finger ligament can be easy or hard, depending on the damage. Test for full flexion and extension of the fingerĮach of these tests will help determine the extent of the injury and what type of treatment is needed.Test the stability of the finger at a 30-degree angle.Instead of the common medical test of an X-ray, doctors can use the following to diagnosis a tear in the ligament of the finger. Since a tear in the ligament of the finger can small, an X-ray will not show injuries to the ligaments. It is important to head to a medical office or hospital if you are having problems with your fingers and hands. Inability to grasp or hold: If a finger or fingers are having trouble grasping or holding onto objects, there may be an underlying issue such as a tear in the ligament.Hyperextension: This occurs when a finger can excessively bend backwards or forwards.Pain and Weakness: Although the ring and little finger are the weakest of the fingers, a torn ligament in the finger will cause more weakness than normal.Joint Instability: This symptom will refrain your hand and fingers from doing normal activities such as straightening the finger.The symptoms that accompany this type of injury are as follows: Like with most injuries to the body parts, a torn ligament in the finger can be quite painful. Some of the causes of a torn finger ligament are: In some cases, the ligaments can weaken or be injured causing a torn ligament in the finger. The tough tissues of the body, known as the ligaments, help join two bones together in order to stabilize a joint.
Unfortunately, when a torn finger ligament occurs hands and fingers can weaken drastically, making daily duties impossible to accomplish. A ligament is a fibrous band of tissue that connects bones together. Each finger has its own weaknesses and strengths, but a torn ligament in the fingerĬan be painful. The main purposes for fingers are for holding things, feeling, touching and grasping. There are three bones or phalanges located in the four fingers. The four fingers of the hand include: the index, middle, ring and little (pinky). There are five digits on the hand, one of them is the thumb, which is usually not considered a finger. A finger is a digit that attaches to the hand to complete tasks, help with writing, drawing, etc. Some of us are born with five on each hand, some are born with less and some have none.