Fused thumb bone

[achigan]

Has anyone had to have the bone in their hand fused due to wear and tear? In particular, their bow hand, and what effect did it have on your shooting? Thanks in advance for any replies...

[McDave]

I’m thinking that if everything else is working okay, it might actually improve your shooting, if you mean that your thumb will be rigid and not bend at the joints.  Overgriping with the bow hand can result in torquing the bow, which you would avoid if you couldn’t bend your thumb joints.  You might need to use a bow sling, which is something many competitive archers use anyway.  Hopefully, whatever you’re having done won’t result in pain when you draw the bow back against the junction of your thumb and forefinger.

[ksbowman]

I have a half thumb on my bow hand (left hand) and it makes absolutely no difference. Although I don't shoot 300's anymore but, then I never did before I cut it off either. LOL

[Roadkill]

My thumb joint is an issue.  I have had it get worse recently. I modified my riser with leather and bike intertube to soften it and to force my hand to make it grip where it holds well but avoids pain.  I will read all the replies as i thought i lost one of my bows due to that joint pain

[Sean B]

I had my joint removed and the bone fused on my bow hand in 2010. No issues.  My cast came off on a Friday and I was in a tree hunting bears on a Monday.

[achigan]

Thanks guys. 35 years of driving 30K miles a year left my thumb joint worn down. I'll likely go through something like Sean's procedure.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Prayers for the best possible outcome

[Doc Nock]

Hoping it goes well and you'll not notice any difficulty shooting your bow...

Friday we should hear about Keefer's li'l china Doll's move of her index finger to create a thumb where she was born without one...

Prayers for both people and their thumb issues

[Bob Stager]

I had the bottom joint on both of my thumbs repaired and have had no issues with either of them. They took out half of each joint and rebuilt them with a tendon from my arm.

[Keefer]

Jim,
 I had my thumb and all my fingers pinned back on from a log splitter accident but when my pins were removed I have limited movement on just how far my fingers will open.
 Since my mid palm area went through the wedge from the splitter severing all my fingers the surgeons had to clean that area up by trimming some of that bone in my hand.
 In doing that it shortened my hand and of course every tenon,vein and muscle had to take set once again so to speak.
  Now my thumb I can wiggle around and move up and down but where the pin held my thumb on the joints fused themselves together and I have adapted and through the Grace of God and His healing Power shoot with my string hand today.
  It took years of therapy and that many spints and the determination that I can to it.
  If you need a devise aid or a release aid it will help but a release aid takes some getting used to but if you find one I used a TSS something or other that turned 360 and had a release strap so my wrist did the pulling and my thumb could hit the trigger.
  The trigger was rigged to have a baby spoon tac welded to it by my brother who was a machinist and it worked but later I bought another and was able to just feel the trigger with my upper thumb and used it .
  That release was a TSS but had a pretty dark handle that had finger grooves to hold onto and no strap.
 It also was built by same company and the barrel turned 360 like the other.
  I had to shoot it upside down with my thumb under my cheek and it had a heavy thumb release so I just tapped it when I was ready to launch my arrow.
  Now I shoot with a Damascus glove and can hold a string .
  As Doc mentioned in his thread my youngest daughter just had a finger moved to the thumb area and the casting and pin was removed this past Friday,
 She has limited motion but praying with therapy that the fusion will work and she can grasp things as she grows.
  Dr's can do wonders now and there are hand centers that specialize in the hand and how it works.
 I went to Union hospital in Baltimore Md. in 1985 when I was 22 years old and today they even know more so may be something to consider .
  God Bless and praying you can find something that can help.

[achigan]

Thanks for all the info K. Fortunately my problems are with my bow hand. Taking off the end of each bone involved and fusing them seems to be what time looking at. Prayer to you and your daughter.

[Doc Nock]

Jim,

As witnessed by Keith, it is truly amazing what modern medicine has learned to do with God's amazing creature, us...  

Prayers that it goes well and I'm sure "where there is a will, there is a way".  Humans are highly adaptable, where motivation exists!  take it slow thru post op and then, once ya got the green light, give er hell!