Monday, January 4, 2016

What Are Proximal Interphalangeal (PIP) Joint Injuries and Skier’s Thumb?


A PIP or Proximal Interphalangeal Joint is the middle joint of a finger. This joint can be pretty unforgiving, becoming extremely stiff, when injured. There are varying degrees of Proximal Interphalangeal (PIP) Joint Injuries. 

A simple dislocation without any fracture is invariably a stable injury. Splinting a simple dislocation can be counter-productive as it often results in stiffness. This stiffness often becomes so severe within 3 to 4 weeks that nothing less than a surgical procedure is able to restore motion. What is often not realized is that a finger bone heals fast. If a joint bears a fracture that is significant, the injury can essentially turn irreparable within just 3 weeks. This is why a hand surgeon should be consulted quickly after Proximal Interphalangeal (PIP) Joint Injuries


Skier’s thumb, which was previously known as Gamekeeper’s Thumb, is an injury whose present principal cause is skiing, resulting in the change in name. This injury is suffered by the Ulnar Collateral ligament of the MP or Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the thumb, which is the sturdy joint that attaches the thumb to the hand. Ligaments are structures functioning as joint stabilizers. Each finger joint has a ligament that stabilizes the joint. 

Skier’s thumb is often the result of a fall onto the thumb, particularly when the thumb is harshly bent back by a ski pole, the ground, or anything that stresses the Ulnar Collateral ligament by pulling the thumb away from the hand.

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