Ulnar collateral ligament injuries of the thumb in athletes.

Abstract

The ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb is frequently injured during competitive sports. Unfortunately, this ligamentous tear is not infrequently overlooked when it is fresh, especially in the young, poorly supervised athlete. Inadequately treated, or untreated, complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament results in instability of the joint when it is stressed-m abduction. This situation jeopardizes one of the most important functions of the hand-the thumb-index pinch. In most sports, normal thumb-index pinch is a vital function for the athlete to be able to