Treatment of "gamekeeper's thumb" in hockey players.

Abstract

Injury to the collateral ligament on the ulnar side of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb (&dquo;Gamekeeper’s Thumb&dquo;) is a frequent occurrence in professional hockey. Since the player does not bend his thumb when he wears his glove, he tends not to bend his thumb when he throws off his glove for a fight. Rather, he makes a fist (Figure 1) which exposes the thumb to hyperabduction and the metacarpophalangeal joint to injury. The stability of this joint is essential to the correct handling of a hockey stick. With his thumb immobilized by conventional casting or strapping, the player cannot play. We have used a method of closed