Exams and Tests

The physician will first make sure you have no other limb-threatening injuries and then evaluate your thumb in more detail.

• The doctor will ask you how the injury happened. Be prepared to answer these questions:
  
  
  • At what time did your injury take place?
    
    
  • What was the exact positioning of your hand and thumb during the injury?
    
    
  • How soon after the injury did the pain and swelling begin?
    
    
  • Did it feel as if your thumb was stressed beyond its normal range of motion?
  
  
• The doctor will also ask about your past medical history. Be prepared to answer these questions:
  
  
  • Have you ever suffered from a similar injury before?
    
    
  • Have you ever had any type of surgery in your hand or wrist?
    
    
  • Are you allergic to any pain medications?
    
    
  • Have you ever fractured any bones in your wrist or hand?
    
    
  • Are you right-handed or left-handed?
    
    
  • What is your primary occupation?
  
  
• The doctor will then perform a physical examination.
  
  
  • Testing the laxity (looseness) of the ulnar collateral ligament of your thumb: This test will be done by holding the base of your thumb in a fixed position, while applying a lateral (sideways) force on the tip of your thumb to see how many degrees it will move. This movement will be compared to the movement of your other, uninjured thumb. Pain may make this difficult to do immediately after the injury (in which case the injury may be treated and then reexamined in a few days).
    
    
  • Assessing for normal functioning of the 3 major nerves in your hand
    
    
  • Checking for point tenderness over certain bony spots of your hand that may indicate fracture
    
    
  • X-ray of your hand to make sure no bones are broken
    
    
  • Examining the rest of your arm for any associated injuries to your wrist, forearm, elbow, and shoulder