Podcast # 435 : UCL Injury

Author: Ryan Circh, MD

Educational Pearls:

• Ulnar collateral ligament injury is often called gamekeeper’s thumb or skier’s thumb
• Can results from traumatic deviating the thumb radially (abduction)
• Poor rabbits
• Have a low threshold for referral to hand surgery for follow up - treatment for minor injuries can be conservative but more severe require surgery to preserve function
• This injury should be placed in a thumb spica splint
• Radiographs are often negative unless an avulsion fracture is present

Editor’s note: to test for UCL injuries, I like this.

References:

Schroeder NS, Goldfarb CA. Thumb ulnar collateral and radial collateral ligament injuries. Clin Sports Med. 2015 Jan;34(1):117-26. doi: 10.1016/j.csm.2014.09.004. Epub 2014 Oct 11. Review. PubMed PMID: 25455399.

Madan SS, Pai DR, Kaur A, Dixit R. Injury to ulnar collateral ligament of thumb. Orthop Surg. 2014 Feb;6(1):1-7. doi: 10.1111/os.12084. Review. PubMed PMID: 24590986.

Summarized by Travis Barlock, MS4 | Edited by Erik Verzemnieks, MD