Rodeo Thumb: To Replant or Not

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Rodeo thumb injuries often require surgical intervention, including amputation or replantation.
• Understanding patient-reported outcomes is crucial for guiding treatment decisions in rodeo athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare patient-reported outcomes following surgical treatment of rodeo thumb injuries.
• To analyze outcomes based on injury level (interphalangeal vs. metacarpophalangeal), age, and treatment type.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 37 rodeo thumb amputations (2009-2019).
• Collection and comparison of patient-reported outcomes, including the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QDASH) questionnaire.
• Statistical analysis using t-tests and chi-square tests to compare outcomes by injury characteristics and treatment.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in QDASH scores or satisfaction were found between replantation and amputation for interphalangeal or metacarpophalangeal injuries.
• Pediatric patients demonstrated a significantly higher rate of return to similar or better roping ability compared to adults (100% vs. 54%).
• Despite higher roping return rates, pediatric patients reported similar QDASH scores and satisfaction levels to adults.

Conclusions:

• Surgical treatment choice (replantation vs. amputation) for rodeo thumb injuries does not significantly impact patient-reported outcomes.
• Pediatric rodeo athletes exhibit superior functional recovery in terms of roping ability post-injury compared to adults.
• Patient satisfaction and functional scores are comparable across different treatment modalities and age groups, highlighting the complexity of outcome assessment.