Youth Finger Injuries
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Youth Finger Injuries
Youth finger pain needs to be checked ASAP.
If a youth climber reports finger pain, it is imperative to have it checked promptly to rule out a growth plate fracture of the finger. If a growth plate fracture goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, this could cause long term discomfort and lack of healing of the bone. Don’t guess what is causing your athlete’s pain. Seek professional medical attention immediately.
Contact your medical provider and request a finger X-ray for your athlete. Contact Dr. Matt if you have any questions.
If a growth plate fracture is reported by your radiologist, immediately remove the athlete from climbing (practice and/or competition) and contact Dr. Matt to discuss an appropriate plan of action moving forward.
If an old, undiagnosed “non-union” growth plate fracture is reported, contact Dr. Matt ASAP to discuss the appropriate next steps. Surgery is indicated for these situations if the athlete desires to continue climbing.
After adhering to the appropriate and individualized plan of care for your youth athlete, discuss the best return-to-sport protocol with Dr. Matt.
Every athlete and injury is unique, so let us design the most efficient and appropriate return-to-sport plan for your athlete.
When polled at national competitions, most youth climbers believe that the number one injury to youth fingers is a pulley injury. This is incorrect for youth climbers. Rarely do youth athletes damage their pulleys. Unfortunately, youth finger growth plate fractures are epidemic in our sport, and they must be addressed appropriately. In a presentation given by Doctor Isabella Schöffl, a leading expert in this area, she reported that if a youth climbing athlete reports finger pain, there is a 90% chance that this is due to a growth plate fracture. This statistic is not meant to scare you, but to illustrate how common these injuries are, and how specific they are to youth climbers. The good news is that if it is caught early, rehab is very straight forward, and routine. If not, the bone may heal improperly, and surgery may be indicated.
Don’t guess about the diagnosis. Have your athlete’s finger X-rayed to rule out a fracture, and move forward from there. Catching these injuries early is the key to speedy recovery.
Dr. Matt is available to consult with you and your athlete to discuss the most appropriate course of action to get your climber back on the wall ASAP. He has worked with a number of youth athletes with growth plate fractures, some who recovered without surgery and others who required surgery. All of these climbers have returned to healthy competition following their plan of care.
It is important to reiterate the importance of sticking to the protocol. For your finger to heal optimally, following each step carefully can mean the difference between returning to optimal climbing and being limited by a lasting finger injury into the future. It can be very sad for athletes to hear that they cannot climb for a period of time, but catching these injuries early means less overall time off the wall. If the process drags on, it could mean longer overall time away from climbing. During healing and rehab, we encourage youth athletes to continue attending practice to stay involved with their team and keep their spirits high. We only require them not to use the affected finger until full healing has occurred.
Schedule a session today to ensure your rehab is optimized.
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You can request that Dr. Matt come to your gym to give an in-depth lecture on Youth Growth Plate Fractures. He has given lectures before at elite youth training camps and USA Climbing events. Click below to coordinate a lecture for your athletes, coaches and parents.
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