A soccer goalie’s torn ligament in the thumb may require surgery to repair

Q. I am a 20-year-old soccer goalie who six months ago hurt my left thumb. A soccer ball struck my thumb, pushing it away from my palm and I felt a pop. X-rays came back negative so I taped my thumb so I could continue to play. I am still playing, but my thumb feels ”loose” and I am having trouble gripping objects. Any thoughts on the injury and what I can do to get it feeling stable?

A: Probably the most important stabilizer of the thumb is the ulnar collateral ligament. If this ligament is torn, the thumb may become unstable. This is particularly important when gripping objects and even writing.

In the acute phase of injury, depending upon the extent of the tear, these injuries can sometimes be braced or cast with a good result possible.

After this many months, your injury would be considered chronic and to stabilize the thumb you would likely require a ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. I recommend you see a hand or upper extremity specialist who can examine your thumb.

Special stress X-rays or an MRI scan may be necessary to establish the degree of ligament damage. In view of your young age and being a goalie, it is likely that surgery will be your best option.

Dr. Harlan Selesnick is team physician of the Miami Heat and director of Miami Sports Medicine Fellowship, Doctors Hospital. Send your questions to HarlanS@baptisthealth.net