A non-Doctor's guess at Demen's injury: Torn UCL
So I'm not a doctor, I'm just going off of personal experience and the picture that Kenny tweeted.
![ApXjZKCCQAAPfDD[1]](https://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Lets-Overreact-To-Spring-Scrimmage-2_E29D/ApXjZKCCQAAPfDD1.jpg)
Based on the above picture (Thumb in a cast, other fingers free) and the fact that he'll be out 4-6 weeks I'm guessing Kenny has either a chip fracture at the base of his thumb or an Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tear. An x-ray would show which one it is. I have had 2 partial tears of my UCL and they hurt. (There is an Ulnar Cruciate Ligament, that's in the elbow and baseball players mess it up a lot). This injury is often referred to as skier's thumb because the method of injury happens a lot to skiers. It happens a lot to football players too. My first injury was when I tackled someone. Look at the back of your hand and pull your thumb down and towards you - that's the motion that the UCL prevents and how you can damage it. If Kenny slightly missed on a tackle - his thumb connecting with a shoulder or something but the rest of his hand didnt - and his thumb got bent back, that would lead to a UCL tear (my guess).
Depending on severity and if he needs surgery 4-6 weeks is a typical recovery. It's a joint that is easily taped and depending on his repair/recovery he should have no lasting effects. I had partial tears (no surgery or repair) and wasn't diagnosed for about 8 weeks after the first injury. My only medical restriction is that I'm not allowed to put my thumb in a bowling ball - all other sports and stuff are fine. Kenny's at Michigan, was diagnosed on sight and has some of the best medical care in the world. I'm sure he'll be fine come the fall. Here's wishing him the best during his recovery.
He said he was out for a few days.
That could just be Linebacker Speak though.
It doesn't really matter though, since he'll be healthy by fall
He could just be missing a few days of practice, and then when he comes back maybe he'll be limited or something.
I did the skiers thumb thing many years ago skiing in Montana. I skied on it the rest of the day and it was painful, but the pain was gone after a month or two and it has never given me problems since that time..
Tim
A common injury from falling on an open hand with a ski pole still in it. I partially tore my UCL after taking a spill in Colorado. I didn't bother getting it fixed since I'm not a professional athlete, but you basically lose the pinching motion of your thumb (to the extent I couldn't even grab a bath towel between my thumb and index finger). Took mine about 6 weeks to get better without a cast or proper treatment. He'll be fine (if our mGoHolidayInnExpress opinions are accurate).
I was casted 4 weeks and I have no real limitations (can pinch etc) but I do get pain, my joint is still unstable but at this point that's more the damage I did to the cartilidge in the thumb knuckle than the ligament itself.
My injury was 30 years ago and I can still remember having the inability to grab a towel.. It hurt like hell back then, but it healed completely with no pain. As a rock climber, I often have to grab holds that are actually called 'pinches', so I am glad there are no lingering effects..
When I hurt mine, I swear my thumb actually bent back and touched my arm. I can see how you could do something like that making a tackle.
Tim
our guys seem to arm tackle rather than moving their feet to plant a solid shoulder. Understandibly the backs etc. are rather shifty and quick, but it's something I've noticed for quite some time, it's like we've lost the fundamentals of solid open field tackling that other teams have mastered. To me it's the difference between good and elite programs. Sound tackling instead of third and fourth level whifs.
The ulnar nerve does not extend through your thumb.
Agreed. It's on the ulnar side though. They should have thrown the word pollicis to make it more clear
It's on the ulnar side of the thumb. Not directly related to the ulnar nerve. Things on the hand are basically differentiated as being on the ulnar side of things or the radial side of things. Ulnar means medial towards your pinky. Radial is lateral towards your thumb. But because hands can be both face up or face down, to say something is medial or lateral would be confusing to a degree. Not everyone automatically assumes anatomical position. So they say ulnar or radial because that's a constant that doesn't change.
Edit: looks like dmblue got back faster. Ulnar pollicis collateral ligament? All the ligaments between the IP and MCP joints in the digits are "ulnar/radial collateral ligaments". Perhaps they didn't want to add pollices for the thumb because it isn't unique to the thumb. But knowing how insane anatomical labelling is, I'm surprised they didn't do things like "ulnar/radial digitorum CL" and "ulnar/radial pollicis CL".
I think you are just suppposed to say ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb or whichever digit #. For most of the intrisic muscles,ligaments, and maybe tendons, they just grouped them together.
Yes, because one can term the collateral ligament on the medial aspect of the elbow either:
"ulnar collateral ligament at the elbow"
or
"medial collateral ligament at the elbow" so you don't confuse it with the MCL @ the knee.
Anatomist fail. Burn all your Netter's!!!!
I burned my Grants Dissector...but that's only because it had an accident in the anatomy lab. Would never burn Netter's. That thing is expensive.
Another thing that I stupidly omitted in my long response. The ulna and the radius play a huge role in the naming of things in the arms and hands. Which, really was the answer I should have given. Sorry.
This is all confusing. Can't it just be called "Thumb Ligament No. 2"? Or at least the Ulnar Collateral Ligament That Has Nothing Really to Do With the Ulnar Nerve?
It's supposed to be as confusing as possible, so you sound much smarter. Like when we use anatomical position to describe location, instead of easy stuff like left and right.
It should be, but then most anatomists would be out of a job. And since they have little intelligence and even fewer marketable skills, they insist on perpetuating the present nomenclature.
What are you talking about?
It is referencing the Unla, the long bone in the forearm.
It's been a while since I went through it all in paramedic, probably need to do CE to refresh before I try and drop the knowledge.
He could have just been hitchhiking with too much vigor.
Partial tears will heal with protection. Complete tears get surgically repaired.
he will get the advice of some non-non-doctors.
I'd love to know where he got the cast
Been hearing on Twitter and whatnot that he bought it out of the back of a Jeep from a guy named Ben.
As a doctor, great diagnosis!
My treatment for that would have put him in a temporary SPICA splint and said "Go see Dr so and so, my partner who is a hand surgeon" hahahha.
...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
My uneducated guess?
Leprosy.
It's not lupus.
It's never lupus.
OMG IT'S PROBABLY A LUPUS/LEPROSY COMBO!! EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!!!
Luprosy?
That's not a good night. Especially if you get it in your hands, like Demens.
For what it's worth, I know [someone extremely close to the process], and that person said it was "Gamekeeper's Thumb", which I'm assuming is a term for a torn UCL, so this seems like a spot-on diagnosis.
[ED:BISB - Don't want to get anyone in trouble, so I edited out the person's exact relation to the rethumbening process. Sufficed to say that IF this post is accurate, the redacted person is easily close enough to make such a call.]
EDIT: Thanks for the watchful edit, absolutely don't want to get anyone in trouble.
...fingers?
Given that you always post in italics, please do the right thing and switch back to normal text if you want to emphasize anything.
Thanks.
I had this exact injury a couple years ago. I did it while racing my bike, took a corner too hot and tried to soften the blow. It's no picnick, it freakin hurt. I couldn't grab my handlebars for about 4 weeks, it eventually healed to full strength. For the next few weeks he will be able to do most everything but tackling and probably some weight training.
Did anyone else freak out and open this thread not even knowing what a UCL is?
And halfway expected a belated April fool's prank.
Me and Kenny have so much in common now! Anyone want to see my sweet scar?! No? No one? That's never worked with the ladies either.
kind of injury is a "boo-boo".
I do watch a lot of Scrubs. So that makes me qualified to give my medical diagnosis... Demen's injury is from excessive thumb wrestling.