The Procedure on my thumb/extensive info on thumbs

[elka3131]

Hello

I was referred to a physio in October and have seen him 3 times so far. He is nice seems to rather thorough. I am seeing him specifically for my hands and knees (but have other problems that we do talk about a well).

I last saw him Dec 23 and he said he has been thinking about my condition since I alast saw him. He said my HMS is more severe than he is used to and non of his other patients have HMS (it is at my local hospital). He is really helpful though. My main problem at the moment are my thumbs. The joint (where my thumb meets my hand) sticks out really bad. The joints are relly delicate. With the slightest touch they sublux and they dislocate really regulary. They also get stuck and I can put them in practically any direction. The thing is that I can more them really easiy using my other hand but i can't straighten that joint without touching it (it that makes sense- it is hard to exlain lihe this).They are also REALLY painful.

Anyway, my physio said he is concerned about the tendon that runs down my thumb to my hand. He said that due to the angle my thumb points and my range of movement my tendon my be damaged. He has made me a doule appointment with him and a hand specialist in January. He has made it as soon as possible ecause he said something need to be done because it could cause serious prolems i the future.

Sorry, this post migt make no sense it is kind of hard to explain.

My questions really are-
- What may she do?
- What could he mean by damage?
- What solutions are there for these problems with thumbs?

I would really appreciate it if anybody can answer any of these questions for me. The problems with my thumbs are causing massive problems in my life at the moment.

Any help, ideas, suggestios, anything, would be greatfully appreciated.

Thank you ,
Ellis x

[Englishgremlin1]

This is not an expert opinion but I have problems with my wrist and my physio is quite concerned about the same joint you have the problem with. It sounds like yours is more severe than mine though.


Damage could mean a range of things from stretching and becoming inflamed to traped.

Thye are going to try different splints with me - as an interim measure - which lock the thumb in place. the idea is to stop the movement so that vis excercise I can strengthen the joint. They also what the Rheumy to examine it when I have a review appointment in January. Sorry I can't help you further.

[SueTorquay]

Hi All, I have HMS I am new to this site and was just reading through the posts. I have just been splinted up on my left hand 6th April after not leaving the doctors because of the pain on the 26th March she then suggested a possible scaphoid fracture and wanted it to be x-rayed which I had to arrange myself. To be seen and being able to get an x ray I had to go to a small hospital out of town on the 30th March which I did. If I had waited for my local hospital to do it it (x- ray) it would have been the 8th of this month April. Now they have the results I have 2 doctors ringing me one saying they are making me an appointment to go to the hospital hand clinic (booked in by them) and another doctor saying don't wait for a hand clinic appointment go up to A+E straight away which I did and finally got a splint. Confusing or what luckily for me I immobiled my joint myself (ust holding 2 fingers together because of it (pain) quite a long time before that as I told my doctor in Nov 2008 I had lost my grip in my left hand and I just feel like I was brushed aside with a joint problem. Sue

[dustybin63]

Hi all, it has been a while since my last post....... ,mainly due to finally sorting out my right thumb, getting the tendon stretched so it works as well as it can, allowing me to return to my normal duty at work. that was a good feeling!! All i need to do now is remember that i cant do what i used to and not overtax the surrounding joints! Not an easy thing to remember..........

The good feeling didnt last long though as my left thumb got lots worse so saw consultant in April to organise other thumb fusion. I ended up taking a cancellation so that my consultant could do the job before she goes on maternity leave. The date given was the day after my wife was due to have carpal tunnel surgery also on her left hand!! She had surgery on Tuesday this week (happened to be my birthday!!
I duly went in and had surgery wednesday and came out thursday, we are now both strapped up tight!!

It has not been a pleasant experience this time though!!! Last time i was put straight into POP cast and had no pain whatsoever after the op but this time I am in a backslab and compression bandage which until this morning was agony as it felt that my arm was in a vice!! It has eased off a lot now though so just on my regular painkillers and havent needed the morphine based stuff today. I am going back in next friday for xrays and to be put into a full cast.

Luckily my outlaws offered to come up for a few days to help out which was really appreciated and they have now taken our girls back with them for most of the half term hols giving us chance to concentrate on ourselves.

It appears that once you start having surgery its like painting the house......... decorate one room it shows up the next one etc!! Had the right thumb done and now the right elbow is coming apart....... hopefully that wont happen on the left side otherwise i will end up like the bionic man!! On the plus side of that though at least when i die they wont have to buy an extra large coffin as they will be able to unbolt me and pack me into a standard one like a meccano kit!!

[Sue New]

Hi Guys,

Time to open up this thread again I am afraid. I have been having problems with my right thumb for a number of years now. It is so loose and floppy, even holding a can of coke without my wrist and thumb splint on makes it dislocate and I often drop things. When I was seeing a hand surgeon for my Carpal Tunnel op a couple of years ago I expressed my concerns and was referred for hand therapy. I had one session with the therapist and he concluded that the ligaments were so lose, any further physio on it would make the joint even worse (hmm) and he said splinting was definately the way to go. The Carpal Tunnel surgeon a few months later at a follow up said again that I shouldn't wear the splint, so following his advice I removed it when I got home. The very same day I slipped on our wooden floor and landed on (yep - youv'e gussed it) my right thumb. The thumb dislocated badly and bent backwards and I had to have ultrasound therapy on it to help promote the healing as I also feel badly on the scar from the Carpal Tunnel op .

So, you can see from this potted history that I kept getting mixed messages about what was best to do for my thumb. I decided in the end to stick to the splinting and have been wearing the splint ever since. A couple of months ago I went to see an orthopaedic surgeon about my clicking right elbow which was causing me a lot of pain and getting stuck when it subluxed. I saw a different Upper Limb specialist, and he was more concerend about the state of my thumb than he was about the elbow. he referred me to physio for my hand and elbow and I went to see him for a follow up today. He examined the thumb and it is still highly unstable and floppy dispite me doing the exercises as often as I can.

The upshot of all this is that he wants me to continue with the hand therapy and if the thumb is no better by November, he wants to tighten up the ligaments. I am a little reluctant to agree to yet more surgery as I have had so many operations in the last few years, but, I am a realist, and if this is really the best thing to do, then maybe I should agree. I don't know if it is possible, but I will ask him if I can have the procedure done under a Local Anaesthetic to avoid being put under a General again.

Well, that's my latest news. I am going to re-read the comments in this thread to see if that halps me to make a decision.

Thanks for reading this.

Sue.