Fractures and dislocations along the pediatric thumb ray.

Abstract

The pediatric hand thumb is vulnerable to injury for several reasons. Young children inadvertently place their thumbs in vulnerable positions, such as doors and drawers. Adolescents participate in sporting recreational events, such as skiing, bike riding, or motorcycle riding, that require the thumb to participate in firm grasp. Skiing or biking mishaps frequently result in injury to the thumb. In children, fractures and fracture-dislocations are more common than true dislocations, because the bone is more fragile than the ligaments.