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The most common hand injury in skiing is a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. The handle of the ski pole, the loop around the ski pole, or the ground itself causes this. This is why it is known as gamekeeper's thumb or skier's thumb.
Ulnar collateral ligament injury occurs in any sport when the thumb is forcibly abducted, as occurs during a fall in sports such as hockey, football, and wrestling. The thumb is pulled sideways and usually the ligament tears off at its distal end where it is attached to the base of the proximal phalanx. Sometimes the ligament remains intact but pulls off a bit of the bone to which it is attached. In either case, Prolotherapy is very effective at treating the condition. A splint needs to be worn for a few weeks if there is a fracture.
If the ligament is significantly torn, laxity at base of the thumb will be evident by the thumb being displaced sideways, away from the index finger The athlete is given a thumb spica splint and Prolotherapy is given to speed the rate of healing. If the ligament injury is not too severe, Prolotherapy alone is done to stimulate the repair of the injured structure.
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