SLC hand doc reccomendation?

**Dantheman** · 02-25-2007, 11:22 AM

So, I have a proximal thumb fracture and need to see an orthopedist Monday. Any reccomendations for good hand docs that deal with athletes?

**Endlessseason** · 02-25-2007, 11:46 AM

Sorry to hear about the thumb, Danno.
First thoughts off the top of my head: You probably can't go wrong checking out one of the hand docs at TOSH (that's where a lot of us have had our ACL's, shoulders, etc. done) since they deal with athletes including the US ski team. TOSH's phone number is 314-4004.
You can also likely save a lot of time and research asking GT40 who he'd recommend as he went down this road with his wrist.

**Vinman** · 02-25-2007, 06:13 PM

proxmial thumb fracture as in Bennet Fracture?

CS · 02-25-2007, 06:47 PM

I had my hand surgery done by a guy up in Salt Lake and he did a really good job. His name is Dr. Groebs and the place I did therapy afterwords also said he's a really good doctor.

**PrincessGruntyPuffs** · 02-27-2007, 12:29 AM

I'd definitely recommend Dr. Tony Gordon of Alta View Sports Medicine. Their # is 571-9433. He's done a couple surgeries for me (knee and arm) and is going to a major reconstructive surgery for me this coming May. He also runs the clinic up at the Bird. He really knows his shit and is cool to work with.

**Dantheman** · 02-28-2007, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by Vinman

proxmial thumb fracture as in Bennet Fracture?

I haven't been to the ortho yet, but I just googled this and, yep, textbook Bennet fracture. If this were a right hand it would be a carbon copy of my x-ray

Surgery here I come..."Because of the long term problems and functional instability that can occur, many orthopaedic doctors advocate surgical fixation to repair a Bennett's Fracture dislocation."

**Vinman** · 02-28-2007, 01:07 PM

bummer man, yeah those need to be pinned so that they will heal properly.

L7 · 02-28-2007, 01:41 PM

Any relationship to 'gameskeepers' thumb which I had surgically repaired and pinned? Just curious.

Not sure how different my doc did the cast up so I could hang on to my roadbike bars. Got some pretty good training in with that thing on. Didn't smell to pretty when the cast came off.

**Crass3000** · 02-28-2007, 02:04 PM

In Minnesota we have Minnesota Hand Surgeons and Metropolitan Hand Surgeons. I'm sure if you look you in the phone book you will find practices that specialize in surgery on hands in your area.

**Vinman** · 02-28-2007, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by L7

Any relationship to 'gameskeepers' thumb which I had surgically repaired and pinned? Just curious.

Not sure how different my doc did the cast up so I could hang on to my roadbike bars. Got some pretty good training in with that thing on. Didn't smell to pretty when the cast came off.

Other than being a thumb injury, no, different joint. While a Bennet's fracture is at the CMC (carpometacarpal) joint, game keeper's thumb is at the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint.

Game keepers thumb and skiers thumb are basically the same thing. Although it was prolly game keepers thumb first as it got its name from the way a bird hunter would injure his thumb as he rings a birds neck to break it spraining or tearing the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb. Of course there is occasionally a fracture associated with this type of injury.

L7 · 02-28-2007, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Vinman

Other than being a thumb injury, no, different joint. While a Bennet's fracture is at the CMC (carpometacarpal) joint, game keeper's thumb is at the MCP (metacarpophalangeal) joint.

Game keepers thumb and skiers thumb are basically the same thing. Although it was prolly game keepers thumb first as it got its name from the way a bird hunter would injure his thumb as he rings a birds neck to break it spraining or tearing the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb. Of course there is occasionally a fracture associated with this type of injury.

Another piece of trivia hits the memory bank. I had thought that gameskeeper and skier's thumb varied slightly as in a slightly different ligament. In my case it could have been called jackass sleeve thumb as it was hooking my thumb on a guy's sleeve while punching his lights out after he cold cocked me. But I digress. No fracture on mine that time.

**irul&ublo** · 02-28-2007, 05:32 PM

Dr. Willie.

**Dantheman** · 03-01-2007, 12:16 PM

Surgery tomorrow, apparently the bone fragment is totally out of joint.

The doc was quite impressed with my interweb diagnostic skillz.

**Tri-Ungulate** · 03-01-2007, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by CS

I had my hand surgery done by a guy up in Salt Lake and he did a really good job. His name is Dr. Groebs and the place I did therapy afterwords also said he's a really good doctor.

Allen Groebs was one of my classmates and is a very smart guy. If you have University coverage Angela Wang is their upper extremity ortho sub-specialist and Chris Martin is the upper extremity specialist with the St. Marks group - they both trained with very high level fellowships, are both top-notch orthopods, and I can vouch for both of them personally.

Who'd you end up with anyway?