Treatment of Grade III Thumb Metacarpophalangeal Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries with Early Controlled Motion Using a Hinged Splint

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries of the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint are some of the more common injuries to the thumb and are usually treated with immobilization. There are benefits, however, to early active motion for healing ligaments. Therefore, these authors incorporated some of the concepts related to early controlled motion and its role in healing, and created a hinged thumb MCP radial and ulnar deviation restriction splint for use with Grade III UCL injuries.—Victoria Priganc, PhD, OTR, CHT, CLT, Practice Forum Editor