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  • UCL injury, anyone had any experience?
  • johnj2000
    Free Member

    8 weeks since I had a tumble and had the cast removed this week. No apparent improvement in the soft tissue damage that was diagnosed originally so the opinion has changed to a UCL issue. Nothi was said to me other than they need to do an ultrasound but in my notes it said ” UCL ultrasound required, if positive will need to operate”. I read that while booking the ultrasound appointment, freaked me out a bit.

    Anyone else had this injury and survived to tell the tale? Despite imminent death what else do I have to look forward to?

    johnj2000
    Free Member

    Must be someone out tjere? Or maybe this injury is so bad no one survives to tell the tale?

    singletrackmind
    Full Member

    Hi mate

    I have done my RH UCL twice , once skiing in 2004 and mtb accident in 2013.

    1st time was repaired in Austria as its a very common skiing injury. Google skiers thumb or Gamekeepers thumb for the lowdown.
    Both times had sugery 4″ scar over lower thumb joint. First job was a simple suture, second time a pin was drilled into the thumb bone with some string to attatch the now shrunk and scared tendon back together.

    The ultrasound will be able to spot instantly if the tendon is intact or not .It was blatent on mine. Grip strength is diminished , no doubt but it doesnt effect riding too much. Apparently Im in for artheritis in afew years as the joint is borked where I have hyper extended it twice.

    2 weeks in a stock ‘plastercast , then 6 in a grp ‘scaph’ cast , plus 6mths of rehab involving silly putty and a squash ball.

    any more info you wanna know just ask away

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    johnj2000
    Free Member

    Hmmm I guess the obvious question is whether you can ride during the rehab time. Personally I am not convinced it is seperated as I can use the thumb, it just hurts a lot.

    Thanks for taking the time to answer 🙂

    singletrackmind
    Full Member

    Maybe , if you have easy action on your shifters. I switched to road riding as flightdeck does not need any thumb use.
    cold weather affects the joint moreso than warm weather does.
    If its bad you could switch to grip shift in the short term, or source some of those shimano combined brake / shifter pods they used to make , as shifting is an up /down flick

    johnj2000
    Free Member

    Cheers stm

    singletrackmind
    Full Member

    3 tests to determine if its disconnected. Be careful , do not put too muc force into these ,if its torn it might go ping.

    1. Make aloop between finger and thumb , end to end and try to stop some-one pulling a biro through the pincer.

    2. Carefully try to make an acute ( ie greater than 90′ angle ) between thumb and first finger , tiled wall is good indicater

    3. try to touch the base of your little finger where it meets your hand with the tip of your thumb and hold it there , do it slowly and do not push it .

    even if its gone you will still have maybe 75% stability in the joint , just a diminshed grip level.

    hth rob

    johnj2000
    Free Member

    Ok, had the ultrasound on Friday and it showed up as a ruptured ligament. I don’t think this means actually severed maybe just a bit broken? Haven’t googled yet but just off to do so, probably tell me death is imminent.

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