Internal Brace for Thumb UCL Injury
🛡️ Enhanced Protection — The internal brace provides an additional layer of protection to the repaired ligament, acting like a 'seat belt' to prevent re-injury.
⏱️ Faster Recovery — Patients can begin moving their thumb within days, significantly reducing the immobilization period compared to traditional methods.
💪 Increased Strength — The internal brace makes the repair several times stronger than standard suture repairs, allowing for a quicker return to activities.
🏃♂️ Quicker Return to Play — Athletes can return to their sports in half the time or less compared to traditional surgery, often within 5-6 weeks.
🦾 Reduced Stiffness — Early movement facilitated by the internal brace helps mitigate stiffness and muscle atrophy, common issues with prolonged immobilization.
Traditional UCL Repair
🩹 Standard Procedure — Traditional UCL repair involves suturing the ligament back to the bone and immobilizing the thumb in a cast for 4-6 weeks.
⏳ Long Recovery — This method requires a lengthy rehabilitation period, often taking 10-12 weeks before returning to full activity.
💪 Muscle Atrophy — Prolonged immobilization can lead to muscle atrophy and stiffness, necessitating extensive physical therapy.
🛑 Limited Movement — Patients are unable to move their thumb during the immobilization period, which can delay recovery.
📉 Lower Strength — The repaired ligament may not be as strong as with internal brace augmentation, potentially increasing the risk of re-injury.
Internal Brace Technology
🔧 Innovative Design — The internal brace uses a high-strength, braided suture material that stabilizes the ligament while it heals.
🧬 Biomechanical Support — It acts as a biologic augment to ligament healing, providing resistance to stress and preventing gap formation.
🔄 Adaptability — Originally used in ankle surgeries, the technique has been adapted for thumb UCL injuries with great success.
🧩 Surgical Integration — The internal brace is integrated into the traditional repair process, enhancing the overall strength of the repair.
📈 Clinical Success — Studies have shown excellent biomechanical and clinical outcomes, with high rates of return to play.
Patient Outcomes
🏆 High Success Rate — Patients undergoing internal brace repair often return to their previous level of activity faster and with fewer complications.
📉 Reduced Complications — The procedure minimizes the risk of stiffness and muscle atrophy due to early mobilization.
⏱️ Shorter Rehabilitation — Rehabilitation time is significantly reduced, with many patients returning to sports within 5-6 weeks.
💪 Improved Functionality — Patients report better range of motion and strength compared to traditional repair methods.
🔄 Positive Feedback — Both athletes and non-athletes have reported satisfaction with the outcomes of the internal brace procedure.
Internal brace augmentation cuts that time in half or less. "A thumb UCL repaired with an internal brace is several times stronger than the standard repair with suture alone," Shin says.