It is moderately painful compared to similar injuries. Gamekeeper's thumb is more difficult to treat because the UCL has lengthened and become thinner as a result of repeated injury.
Full-thickness tear of the middle part of the UCL.Avulsion of distal UCL causing the pulling off of a bone chip off the proximal phalanx base.There are four types of Skier's thumb injury: The chief difference between these two conditions is that skier's thumb is generally considered to be an acute condition acquired after a fall or similar abduction injury to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of the thumb, whereas gamekeeper's thumb typically refers to a chronic condition which has developed as a result of repeated episodes of lower-grade hyperabduction over a period of time. Gamekeeper's thumb and skier's thumb are two similar conditions, both of which involve insufficiency of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb.
Other complaints include intense pain experienced upon catching the thumb on an object, such as when reaching into a pants pocket. The patient will often manifest a weakened ability to grasp objects or perform such tasks as tying shoes and tearing a piece of paper. Physical examination demonstrates instability of the MCP joint of the thumb. Ĭharacteristic signs include pain, swelling, and ecchymosis around the thenar eminence, and especially over the MCP joint of the thumb. The severity of the symptoms is related to the extent of the initial tear of the UCL (in the case of skier's thumb), or how long the injury has been allowed to progress (in the case of gamekeeper's thumb). Symptoms of gamekeeper's thumb are instability of the MCP joint of the thumb, accompanied by pain and weakness of the pinch grasp.