softball catching

Question
last year my daughter(14yrs. old) broke her thumb catching behind the plate wore a cast and now is having problems with it real sore and bruising after catching any suggestions to stop this?

Answer
Hi Judy,

The thumb is distinct from the other fingers anatomically and biomechanically. Accordingly, fractures to the thumb are considered separately from other metacarpal fractures. The majority of thumb metacarpal fractures occur at the base.
First metacarpal (thumb) fractures make up almost 25 percent of all metacarpal fractures, placing them second only to 5th metacarpal fractures in terms of frequency. Of these fractures, over 80 percent involve the base of the metacarpal

Thanks to Josh Bloom, MD, MPH
Kevin E Burroughs, MD


there are are least 5 major types of fractures, some more serious than others.  I have no idea what type your daughter had.

1 yr post trauma and she's having significant problems with it (per your question)

If she is my daughter, she stops catching TODAY, and you make an appointment with a hand specialist to evaluate her thumb.  You're risking future disability with that thumb (no I'm not being dramatic).  What do you call a traumatized joint that is frequently irritated? that's right... arthritis (later in life).  Possession of a functional opposable thumb is of primary importance in the function of the hand and upper extremity. The thumb is said to contribute 40% of hand function.  
Until an eval by a hand specialist, my daughter doesn't play....period.

Mark