Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Broken thumb: cast or surgery, Bennett's fractures, and getting grip and pinch back

Most broken thumbs heal in a cast or splint, usually in 6 to 8 weeks, though full strength can take 3 to 4 months. Breaks into the joint at the base of the thumb, called Bennett's and Rolando fractures, are different: they usually need a hand surgeon and often an operation, because that joint lets the thumb swing across the palm to pinch and grip.

Your fracture clinic's or hand therapist's plan comes first. This guide covers telling a break from a sprain, the warning signs, what the evidence says about surgery and arthritis, the thumb exercises NHS hand therapists use, and a staged plan back to grip, pinch and sport, with a 3D demo of each move. A torn ligament at the base of the thumb is covered in our skier's thumb guide.

4-stage exercise plan When to get help 28 sourcesUpdated 21 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the wrist, thumb or a finger has changed shape, is at an odd angle, or has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if, after an injury, you have severe pain; you feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain; you heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time; you can't move your thumb or hold things; your thumb has changed shape or colour; or you've lost the feeling in part or all of your hand. These might be signs of a broken thumb.
Same day (NHS 111, an urgent treatment centre or an urgent GP appointment): a thumb injury that is very painful, swollen and bruised, stiff or difficult to move. It may be broken, dislocated or a torn ligament, and you'll probably need an X-ray.
Call 999 or go to A&E: sudden, severe pain in a muscle of the forearm or hand, especially after an injury or when a cast or bandage feels too tight. It can be compartment syndrome.
While it heals, get help from NHS 111 the same day if the pain gets worse; your temperature is very high or you feel hot, cold or shivery; the cast or splint breaks or feels too tight or too loose; your fingers or hand feel numb, look swollen, or turn blue or white; or there is a bad smell or fluid coming from under the cast.
With wires through the skin: more redness, pain or discharge around a wire. Contact the hand clinic as soon as possible.
After an operation, oozing or pus from the wound: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. If you feel unwell or feverish and the wound looks infected, go to A&E.
Throbbing pain and swelling in the arm, with red, blue or darker skin and swollen veins: ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111. It could be a blood clot.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

See a GP or your fracture clinic if you're worried the break isn't healing properly, the pain and swelling haven't started to ease after a few days, or it hurts to use your thumb once the cast or strapping is off.
Still significant pain and swelling about 12 weeks after the injury: contact the fracture clinic.
A child or teenager with a thumb injury: proper thumb X-rays are needed, not just hand X-rays. A piece of bone pulled off where the ligament attaches may need a hand surgeon.
Any tingling or loss of feeling in your hand: see a GP or tell your hand therapist.
Pain that is getting worse instead of better or far worse than you'd expect, a cast that feels tight, swelling with fingers that are hard to bend, skin that is shiny, red or very sensitive to touch, or a hand that doesn't feel like yours: contact your fracture clinic or physiotherapist promptly. These can be early signs of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and early treatment may help.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.
Aching, stiffness or a weak pinch at the base of the thumb months or years after a break there: see a GP. Arthritis is common after these breaks, though it doesn't always cause symptoms; our thumb arthritis guide covers it.

Understand it

What a broken thumb is

The thumb has three bones: the tip (distal phalanx), the middle bone (proximal phalanx) and the long bone in the hand (the first metacarpal). Its joints are the tip joint, the knuckle, and the joint at the base, where it meets the wrist; the base joint lets the thumb swing across the palm to pinch and grip. Breaks into a joint are harder to treat.

At the base of the thumb, a Bennett's fracture is a break into the base joint in which one small piece stays in place while the rest of the long bone slips out of the joint. A Rolando fracture breaks the base into three or more pieces. A break just outside the joint is called extra-articular. An injury that tears a ligament and pulls off a flake of bone is treated as a ligament injury: at the knuckle, that's skier's thumb.

Sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Who breaks a thumb, and howEmerging evidence

A fall or a blow to the hand, a ball that catches the thumb and bends it back, or a twist, for example in wrestling, hockey, football or skiing, can break it; weaker bones raise the risk. Breaks at the base usually come from force along the length of a bent thumb.

Hand fractures were 19% of all fractures in one Amsterdam emergency department. In 18,802 metacarpal fractures in the Swedish Fracture Register, 11% were in the thumb; 74% of these were at its base, 42% went into a joint, and 36% were operated on, against 17% of all metacarpal fractures. Children had proportionally more thumb metacarpal breaks than adults. Bennett's fracture is the commonest break into the base joint, but under 1% of all hand fractures.

Sources 1, 5, 7, 8, 9

How it's recognised

The NHS says a broken thumb is likely to be painful, swollen, bruised and difficult to move, and may change colour or feel numb. It can be hard to tell from a dislocation or a bad sprain, so you'll probably need an X-ray.

US orthopaedic surgeons (the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) add a thumb that looks bent or out of place, or a joint that feels loose, and advise being seen as soon as possible, because waiting makes it harder to put the bones back. The NHS suggests taping it to the next finger while you wait to be seen.

Sources 10, 1

What the X-ray does and doesn't mean

Years after a Bennett's fracture, X-rays often show arthritis at the base of the thumb, even when the break was set exactly: almost all of 18 people about 11 years on, in one study. It doesn't always cause symptoms. In 25 people reviewed 5 to 16 years on, how well the break had been set didn't predict symptoms, and in 24 people 7 years after screw fixation, a small step of under 2 mm left in the joint didn't predict arthritis.

Sources 11, 12, 13

How it usually goesEmerging evidence

The NHS says a broken thumb usually heals within 6 to 8 weeks, and it may be 3 to 4 months before full strength returns. A break in one of the thumb's smaller bones usually heals in about 4 to 6 weeks, and one NHS service doesn't routinely follow these up.

A cast or splint is usually worn for 4 to 6 weeks, or 2 to 6 weeks after an operation, with X-rays to check the position. Wires through the skin usually come out at about 4 weeks in clinic, usually without pain; screws and plates usually stay. US orthopaedic surgeons expect 3 months or more to use the hand fully after an operation. Aching in cold, damp weather or after heavy use is common for a while and usually settles, hand surgeons say.

Sources 10, 14, 15, 1, 6

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Most thumb breaks heal in a cast or splintStrong evidence

The NHS says a doctor or nurse may straighten the thumb under local anaesthetic, put it in a splint or cast or strap it, and give a tetanus injection or antibiotics if there's a cut; complicated breaks may need surgery. US orthopaedic surgeons treat breaks that haven't moved far, or are in the middle of the bone, in a cast or splint that holds the thumb (a thumb spica) for 4 to 6 weeks. A Plymouth NHS hand therapy leaflet treats most thumb fractures in a cast or splint for 4 to 6 weeks in total, leaving the other fingers free to move, and hand surgeons say many hand fractures need no operation.

Breaks of the thumb's smaller bones that haven't moved can be managed in a splint or strapping for comfort: an East Sussex NHS service uses it as needed for 3 weeks and doesn't routinely follow them up.

Sources 10, 1, 14, 6, 15

Breaks at the base: usually surgery, but no trialsMixed evidence

US orthopaedic surgeons say Bennett's and Rolando fractures almost always need surgery, and a hand surgery review describes poor results when displaced base breaks are treated without it, because the base joint needs to be restored. They're usually fixed with thin wires through the skin (Kirschner wires, or K-wires), sometimes with screws or a plate.

There are no randomised trials. A 2022 review of 13 studies (558 people) couldn't recommend one method; across the studies, 9% reported arthritis, 13% pain, and 2% needed another operation. In a UK series of 49 people treated with wires, the average arm disability score was a low 7.75 out of 100 at 5.5 years, and 85% got back unrestricted movement with hand therapy; in published series, open surgery led to further procedures in 4% to 20% and lasting numbness in 5% to 28%, so the authors suggest wires first. In 32 people, wires and open fixation did equally well 7 years on, and a 2025 review of three techniques found similar function, with arthritis common after all of them.

Sources 1, 5, 4, 16, 3, 9

The long term after a Bennett's fracture: studies disagreeMixed evidence

All the long-term studies are small, old or uncontrolled. Of 17 people treated without surgery and reviewed after 26 years, all had lost some movement and grip, and their X-rays showed the joint partly out of place with arthritis, though only 7 had symptoms. Of 25 treated mostly in plaster and reviewed 5 to 16 years on, 10 had no symptoms and 2 had significant ones. Of 20 treated with closed setting and plaster, 18 were satisfied after 13 years, 7 had arthritis, and 2 had severe, painful arthritis.

After surgery, 18 people about 11 years on had few symptoms, but all had lost some strength and almost all had arthritis. Most of the people in these studies were treated decades ago, before surgery was used as widely.

Sources 17, 12, 18, 11

Thumb exercises: NHS hand therapy practice, no trialsEmerging evidence

We found no trial of exercises after a thumb fracture, only small case series. NHS hand therapy leaflets agree on the order. Once the clinic allows, active exercises for each joint: bending the tip with the knuckle held still, bending the knuckle with the base held still, touching each fingertip and sliding down to the little finger's base, lifting the thumb away from the palm and out to the side, and big thumb circles. East Kent's dose is 4 to 6 of each, 4 times a day, holding the end for 5 seconds; Cambridge also uses 5-second holds; and East Sussex uses 5 of each, several times a day, for a break of the thumb's smaller bones.

Then gentle stretches with the other hand: 5 to 10 times, 4 to 5 times a day, held for 5 seconds (Cambridge), or longer holds of 30 seconds (Dorset). Then grip and pinch: squeezing a soft ball, playdough or a plastic bottle for 30 to 60 seconds, picking up small objects, turning keys, crafts and squeezing clothes pegs (East Sussex).

Sources 19, 2, 20, 21, 15, 6

How grip and pinch come backEmerging evidence

The NHS says full strength can take 3 to 4 months. Small case series after surgery give a guide: pinch was 92% and grip 89% of the other hand 4 months after screw fixation (24 people); all of 16 people were back to their previous activity 12 weeks after fixation and an early exercise programme; and 18 people had the same pinch strength in both hands about 2.5 years after wires and an external frame. These are small studies with no comparison group.

Sources 10, 13, 22, 23

Back to heavy use and sportEmerging evidence

A Plymouth NHS hand therapy leaflet allows light use only, up to the weight of a cup of tea, while the thumb is supported; daily activities from 4 weeks (6 after an operation); heavy work and non-contact sport from at least 6 weeks (8 after an operation); and contact sport, especially boxing, from at least 12 weeks. US orthopaedic surgeons suggest a protective splint for 6 to 8 weeks after you go back to sport. This is one NHS service's advice, past its review date and untested in trials.

Sources 6, 1

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

Tightness is fine, sharp pain isn't; about 5 out of 10 once it has healedEmerging evidence

Cambridge's hand therapists say you may feel tightness or a pulling sensation, which is normal, but if you feel a sharp pain, reduce the intensity of the exercises or stop for a couple of days to let it settle. East Kent says the exercises shouldn't be painful, though they may feel slightly uncomfortable as the hand stretches. Dorset says aching when you start should settle quickly, and if the stretches cause intense pain lasting more than 30 minutes, do them less forcefully or less often and tell your therapist.

Once the clinic says it has healed, use this site's wrist and hand rule: about 5 out of 10 or less, settling within half an hour or so, and no worse the next morning. If it is worse, do fewer, smaller or lighter next time, not nothing.

Tingling or numbness, or a hand that becomes swollen, shiny and very sensitive, isn't a pain-rule question: tell your team, because it can be an early sign of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).

Sources 2, 20, 19, 21, 24

The exercise plan: 4 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

In the cast or splint: protect the thumb, keep everything else moving (about weeks 0 to 6, as your fracture clinic allows)

As your fracture clinic allows. Let the bone heal while the fingers, elbow and shoulder keep moving. Keep the hand raised above the heart on pillows when you sit, and use a sling when you walk about. Use the hand for light tasks only, up to the weight of a cup of tea, while it's supported. With wires, keep the pin sites clean and dry, and clean them as you're shown.

Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

4 to 6 of each position, holding each for 5 s, up to 4 times a day · The move page's dose. Fingers only: the thumb stays in the cast

Harder: Ball squeeze

Elbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoElbow bend and straighten (elbow range of motion)Beginner · No equipment

10 slow repetitions, up to 4 times a day · The move page's dose

Harder: Dumbbell biceps curl

Breath reach demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBreath reachBeginner · No equipment

5 slow breaths, lifting the arms as high as is comfortable · The move page's dose

Harder: Slow breathing (6 breaths a minute)

Shoulder rolls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoShoulder rollsBeginner · No equipment

10 to 15 slow circles each way, once or twice through · The move page's dose

Harder: Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)

Move on when: The clinic or hand therapist takes the cast off, or lets the splint come off for exercises, often at about 3 to 6 weeks. Wires usually come out at about 4 weeks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Get the thumb moving (often from about 3 to 6 weeks, as your fracture clinic allows)

As your fracture clinic or hand therapist allows. Active movement at each thumb joint, with light use of the hand. The written thumb exercises below are the core of this stage, because the catalog's thumb move has no 3D demo yet. Contrast bathing can ease swelling once any wounds have healed.

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

Continue: 4 to 6 of each position, held 5 s · The move page's dose

Harder: Ball squeeze

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

The wrist up and down and the palm up and down, 10 of each, 3 to 4 times a day · Editorial dose. The wrist stiffens in a thumb cast

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Wrist circles demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist circlesBeginner · No equipment

10 slow circles each way · Editorial dose

Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

A soft ball, playdough or a plastic bottle, squeezed for 30 to 60 s · An East Sussex NHS leaflet's dose. Use a soft ball: the move page advises one for a sore thumb base

Easier: Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) · Harder: Band finger extension

Move on when: The thumb moves easily through the exercises and the clinic is happy with healing, often by about 6 weeks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Stretch, grip and pinch (often from about 6 to 8 weeks, as your fracture clinic allows)

As your fracture clinic or hand therapist allows. Full movement, then grip and pinch strength for daily tasks. Add the passive stretches and pinch practice below. Heavy work and non-contact sport wait at least 6 weeks after a break treated in a cast, or 8 weeks after an operation.

Band finger extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand finger extensionBeginner · A band

2 sets of 10 to 15 · Editorial dose, as in our broken wrist guide

Easier: Ball squeeze · Harder: Plate pinch

Wrist flexor stretch demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist flexor stretchBeginner · A wall

2 holds of 30 s · Editorial dose

Easier: Wrist circles · Harder: Quadruped wrist rocks

Wrist curls demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell

Light, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, slowly, 2 to 3 times a week · Editorial dose, as in our broken hand guide

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Reverse wrist curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Light, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, slowly, 2 to 3 times a week · Editorial dose

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Dumbbell forearm rotation demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoDumbbell forearm rotationBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box

Light, 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 · Editorial dose

Easier: Wrist-extensor eccentrics · Harder: Plate pinch

Move on when: Pinch and grip are close to the other hand for daily tasks.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 4

Heavy use and sport (from about 6 to 12 weeks, as your fracture clinic allows)

As your fracture clinic allows. Full strength, then sport. Contact sport, especially boxing, waits at least 12 weeks, and a protective splint is worth wearing for 6 to 8 weeks after you go back.

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

Light at first, 3 walks of 20 to 30 m · Editorial dose. Once grip is close to the other hand

Harder: Suitcase carry

Wall push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWall push-upBeginner · A wall

2 sets of 10, fingers spread and the thumb relaxed · Editorial dose

Harder: Push-up

Knee push-up demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoKnee push-upBeginner · No equipment

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 · Editorial dose

Easier: Incline push-up · Harder: Push-up

3D demoBand rowBeginner · A band + An anchor point

3 sets of 10 to 15 · The move page's dose

Harder: Supported single-arm dumbbell row

Move on when: Grip, pinch and push-ups feel normal; then contact sport, as your fracture clinic allows.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

Active thumb exercises (written steps)

From NHS hand therapy leaflets; the dose is East Kent's. Start only when your clinic or hand therapist says. The catalog's thumb lifts and O-sign move has no 3D demo yet, so these are written steps.

1. Start only when your clinic or hand therapist says, with the splint off. Sit with your elbow on a table and your hand relaxed.
2. Tip bend: hold the thumb just below the tip joint with your other hand, then bend and straighten the tip.
3. Knuckle bend: hold the thumb just below the knuckle, then bend and straighten the knuckle.
4. Lift away: with your hand on its side, move the thumb away from your palm as if about to pick up a cup, then back.
5. Out to the side: with your palm flat on the table, move the thumb out to the side, away from your index finger, then back.
6. Touch each fingertip in turn, making a round O shape. At the little finger, slide the thumb down towards the base of the finger, as far as is comfortable.
7. Make big, slow circles with the thumb for about a minute.
8. Hold the end of each movement for 5 seconds. Do 4 to 6 of each, about 4 times a day, unless your therapist says otherwise. Tightness is normal; a sharp pain means ease off.

Sources 19, 2, 6, 15

Passive thumb stretches (written steps)

From Cambridge and Dorset NHS hand therapy leaflets, usually once the thumb has healed.

1. Start only when your hand therapist says, usually once the thumb has healed.
2. With your other hand, gently bend the tip of the thumb down, then the knuckle, then curl the whole thumb into your palm.
3. With your hand flat on a table, gently lift the thumb towards the ceiling, then out to the side away from the index finger, then out in front in an L shape, as if reaching for a cup.
4. Hold each for 5 seconds, 5 to 10 times, 4 to 5 times a day (Cambridge), or for up to 30 seconds if your therapist suggests (Dorset: long, slow stretches work better than short, sharp ones).
5. If they cause intense pain that lasts more than about 30 minutes, do them less forcefully or less often, and tell your therapist.

Sources 20, 21

Pinch practice (written steps)

From an East Sussex NHS leaflet for breaks of the thumb's smaller bones.

1. Start at the stage your clinic allows, often 3 to 6 weeks after a break of one of the thumb's smaller bones.
2. Squeeze a soft ball, playdough or a plastic bottle for 30 to 60 seconds.
3. Practise everyday hand movements: turning keys, picking up small objects and crafts.
4. Practise your pinch grip by squeezing clothes pegs.
5. Do these several times a day, building up as it gets easier.

Source 15

Swelling, scars, wires and splints

Swelling is normal and can take months to go. Keep the hand raised, and once any wounds have healed and the splint can come off, contrast bathing can ease swelling and stiffness: 30 seconds in comfortably hot water, then 30 in cold, 7 times, starting and ending in the hot (a Plymouth NHS leaflet). After an operation, once the wound has healed, massage the scar with unperfumed moisturiser in firm circles, 3 to 4 times a day for at least 5 minutes.

With wires through the skin, keep the pin sites clean and dry and clean them weekly as you're shown. Keep a plastic (thermoplastic) splint away from radiators, hot water and sun through glass: it softens at 65°C. In the first days after the injury, the NHS suggests an ice pack wrapped in a towel for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, and no heat packs or hot baths, which can make a swollen thumb worse.

Sources 6, 10, 25

Children's thumbs

Children had proportionally more breaks of the thumb's long bone than adults in the Swedish register. Use the same warning signs as for adults and get a child's thumb injury seen the same day: our skier's thumb guide explains why children need proper thumb X-rays.

Source 8

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Strapping a sore thumb at home and waiting to see	It may be broken, and breaks at the base need a hand surgeon soon.	Get it X-rayed; tape it to the next finger only while you wait to be seen.
Heavy use while it's in the splint	The bone isn't strong enough yet.	Light use only, up to the weight of a cup of tea.
Reshaping, heating or taking off a plastic splint early	A thermoplastic splint softens at 65°C and loses its shape.	Keep it away from radiators, hot water and sun through glass, and ask your therapist about any problem.
Heat packs or hot baths in the first days after the injury	The NHS says they can make a swollen thumb worse.	An ice pack wrapped in a towel for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
Rings on the injured hand	The fingers swell.	Take them off straight away.
Squeezing a hard ball or grip trainer early on	The move page advises a soft ball for a sore thumb base.	A soft ball or playdough, for 30 to 60 s.
Contact sport, especially boxing, before about 12 weeks	The bone isn't strong enough.	Non-contact training from 6 weeks (8 after an operation), then a protective splint for 6 to 8 weeks when you go back.
Getting wire sites wet or dirty	They need to stay clean and dry.	Weekly cleaning as you're shown; report redness, pain or discharge.
Bar hangs and heavy carries too soon	Grip and pinch take months to come back.	Band finger extensions and a soft ball first, then light carries.Try: Band finger extension

Routines to follow

Wrist and forearm routine

Wrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.

10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbell

Grip strength workout: squeezes, curls, carries and hangs

A 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.

20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A band

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Is my thumb broken or sprained?

It can be hard to tell a broken thumb from a dislocation or a bad sprain, so you'll probably need an X-ray. Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E for severe pain, a snap at the time, a thumb you can't move or hold things with, a change of shape or colour, or numbness.

Can you still move a broken thumb?

Sometimes. A broken thumb is usually painful, swollen, bruised and hard to move, but being able to move it doesn't rule out a break. Get it checked rather than waiting.

What will the hospital do?

You'll have an X-ray; then a doctor or nurse may straighten the thumb under local anaesthetic, put it in a splint or cast or strap it, and give a tetanus injection or antibiotics if there's a cut. Breaks at the base of the thumb, or that are crooked or unstable, go to a fracture clinic or hand surgeon.

How long does a broken thumb take to heal?

Usually 6 to 8 weeks, and 3 to 4 months before full strength returns. A break in one of the thumb's smaller bones normally takes about 4 to 6 weeks.

How long will I be in a cast or splint?

Usually 4 to 6 weeks for a break that hasn't moved far, and 2 to 6 weeks after an operation. Wires through the skin usually come out at about 4 weeks, usually without pain.

Does a broken thumb need surgery?

Most don't. Breaks into the joint at the base of the thumb (Bennett's and Rolando fractures) usually do, because that joint lets the thumb swing across the palm to pinch. In Sweden, 36% of breaks of the thumb's long bone were operated on.

What is a Bennett's fracture?

A break into the joint at the base of the thumb in which one small piece stays in place and the rest of the thumb's long bone slips out of the joint. It usually comes from a force along the length of a bent thumb, and it's usually fixed with wires through the skin, or screws.

Will I get arthritis?

Arthritis at the base of the thumb is common on X-rays years after a Bennett's fracture, even after a well-set break, but it often causes few symptoms. There are no randomised trials, and no method has been shown to prevent it.

When can I start thumb exercises?

When your fracture clinic or hand therapist says, often when the splint can come off for exercises at about 3 to 6 weeks. A typical NHS programme does each movement 4 to 6 times, about 4 times a day, holding each for 5 seconds. Tightness is normal, but a sharp pain means ease off.

When can I go back to sport, boxing or the gym?

Light use, up to the weight of a cup of tea, while it's protected; heavy work and non-contact sport after at least 6 weeks (8 after an operation); and contact sport, especially boxing, after at least 12 weeks, as your fracture clinic allows. A protective splint for 6 to 8 weeks after you go back to sport is worth considering.

My child has hurt their thumb. What should I do?

Use the same warning signs as for adults and get it seen the same day: children need proper thumb X-rays, not just hand X-rays, as our skier's thumb guide explains. Breaks of the thumb's long bone are proportionally more common in children than in adults.

Related exercise guides

Wrist and hand guide

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.