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Thread: Thumb UCL injury, reconstruction

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Default Thumb UCL injury, reconstruction

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    Hey ,
    I may be looking at a reconstruction of my right UCL ligament in my thumb. Apparently it is partially torn. Since this was discovered 9 weeks post injury they seem to want to cut me and reconstruct the ligament with a tendon graft from palmeris longus. BTW, this was a private clinic so the guy wanted $5G for this.

    I had an avulsion fracture here 26 years ago and I guess well my time was up. I was opening the collar on my bar and flipped it open with my thumb. BANG sharp pain. I finished the sets and actually made some PRs doing Andy´s Garage warrior template three weeks later. I didn´t hurt that much and figured it would pass. I believe I aggrevated it by continuing to live...
    My GP was pretty relaxed about it but since I am a professional orchestra musician I didn´t like that it was lingering so long.

    My question is: Does anyone know if these grafts are strong enough to withstand me going back to BB training? 2:
    I should say, I am a weak 53yo man with poverty numbers. I can still play my instrument (bass) with this injury it is only benching and pressing which aggrevates the heck out of it and a few other joy providing pastimes....

    Just for info, I have good people at the Olympic center here in sunny old Oslo. Physio says wait and see. Ortho guy there says, maybe trouble in the future, but I should get it evaluated.
    Thanks for any help.
    Glenn

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
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    53,562

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    Will the palmaris longus graft harvest affect your playing ability?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Apparently not. Thats another question I need to get answered. AFAIK it is not going to affect my playing. The research I´ve done seems to say that its not an issue. I have even found a study on PL and pianists. No issue. With that said none of these studies talk about what happens when you take one out.
    I use the 5th finger to stabilise the bow but only marginally. Most of the work with the bow is weight, placement, speed.
    It seems, an alternative to this down the line is an arthrodesis of the mcp joint. Which actually wouldn´t affect the bow either as long as it was fused at the correct angle. But Jeez, I would prefer to avoid all of this.

  4. #4
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    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    I actually ruptured this ligament about 20 years ago, and ignored it. It seems to have scarred down, and it doesn't bother me.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    I actually ruptured this ligament about 20 years ago, and ignored it. It seems to have scarred down, and it doesn't bother me.
    Thanks for your reply coach. I have a good feeling it´ll be fine after a while. I have a consult with the ´socialist surgeon´tomorrow with the idea that they will want to save money and advise a conservative approach. To be continued. in the meantime squats are ok. pulls will have to go back to volume work and presses will be whatever I can tolerate.
    PS It flipped me out when Santana said on a previous podcast that he had neither seen or heard of Soylant Green....God help us all.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    starting strength coach development program
    Just an update.
    I opted for a cast. They did not want to but I insisted.
    The cast stayed on for 5 weeks. When they took it off my thumb was 100% The immediate ortho said it wouldn’t hold since I had lots of calcification from the previous injury but lets see he says. Don’t lift heavy for 4 weeks he says.
    Well, I did what he said and I have ZERO pain and no issues w the tumb.
    I then got my 6 week control with the hand hand surgeon who wanted to cut me up. He was NOt happy when I came back and had no pain.
    I will also say that the calcifications dissappeared as well. I asked the DR and he says he has no clue as to why.
    So the moral here is do not get surgery unless your life depends on it and do the research.

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