Skier's Thumb

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Medical Author:

Justin Strittmatter, MD

Coauthor:

Charles Preston, MD

Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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• Skier's Thumb Overview
• Skier's Thumb Causes
• Skier's Thumb Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Skier's Thumb Diagnosis
• Skier's Thumb Treatment
• Skier's Thumb Self-Care at Home
• Skier's Thumb Medical Treatment
• Skier's Thumb Surgery
• Skier's Thumb Follow-up
• Skier's Thumb Prevention
• Skier's Thumb Prognosis
• Skier's Thumb Pictures
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editor
• Viewer Comments: Skier's Thumb - Causes

Skier's thumb is an injury of the soft tissue that connects the bones of the thumb together. In medical terms, this soft tissue is called a ligament.

This injury was originally noted in 1955 as a chronic ligament problem seen in Scottish gamekeepers who damaged their thumbs by repeatedly twisting the necks of hares. The injury was termed the "gamekeeper's thumb" at that time. The popularity of recreational downhill skiing has caused this injury to become much more common in the U.S.; as a result, the term gamekeeper's thumb was replaced with the more contemporary term, skier's thumb.

Skier's thumb now accounts for a significant number of skiing injuries. In severe cases, with complete tearing of the ligament, this injury must be surgically repaired. The ultimate stability of the ligament is important because of its contribution to the grasping function of the thumb.

People with skier's thumb may be able to return to work and even skiing in a short period with proper rehabilitation.

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