Fractures of the thumb

Last revised by Henry Knipe on 2 Apr 2023

Fractures of the thumb are important due to huge impact the thumb has on the overall function of the hand, an understanding of the types of fractures that occur is important, as treatment varies with fracture type.

Pathology

Types

Metacarpal fractures include:

Phalangeal fractures include:

  • Skier's thumb (also known as gamekeeper's thumb): not always associated with a fracture
  • intra-articular
  • extra-articular
  • terminal tuft fractures

Cases and figures

  • Figure 1
  • Case 1: Bennett fracture
  • Case 2: Rolando fracture
  • Case 3: epibasal thumb fracture
  • Case 4: proximal phalanx thumb fracture
  • Case 5: Skier's thumb
  • Case 7: distal phalanx
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