A thumb splint is a specialized brace with a thumb support or "spica". Many people wear a thumb splint to stop hand or thumb pain. It's also often used after thumb surgery.



But a thumb splint is designed to keep the thumb immobile. If that's not absolutely required, then a thumb splint is not necessary.

Almost every thumb splint is essentially a hand brace with added support to the injured thumb. It can be in the form of a brace that restricts all of the fingers or one that restricts only the thumb using a "spica" (technically called a thumb spica). 

The main purpose of this splint is to keep the thumb immobilized while it heals from surgery, injury or disease. By far, the most common reason to wear a thumb splint is either for a thumb sprain or for de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Other conditions that might require a thumb splint are:

• Post-operative
• Osteoarthritis
• Thumb fracture
• Wrist tendonitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Gamekeeper’s Thumb
• Skier’s thumb

Every thumb splint has a thumb spica incorporated directly into the brace's structure. It can be a rigid or semi-rigid extension of the hand brace that specifically supports the thumb. 

In medical terms, the spica is an orthosis, meaning it was designed to keep the thumb stable and in one position. Some braces incorporate a thumb spica specifically for post-surgical rehabilitation or as a substitute for a hand cast. They may include a simple Velcro-locked spica support or a lace-up spica. 

Several thumb spica types are bendable to conform to the angle in a person’s thumb, or as the doctor requires for maximum healing. Newer thumb splints with a spica have a moldable plastic spine. You can mold and adjust it with a just little heat (from a hairdryer) into the precise shape you need.

You can sprain a thumb if you bend it too far, beyond its normal range of motion. Too much bending will disrupt the ligaments that support the thumb.

Beyond their physical limits, ligaments can develop micro-tears. This causes inflammation and swelling – and of course, severe pain. 

The most common injuries occur in association with contact sports like football and basketball. The most severe cases require surgery to join completely ripped ligaments in the thumb. 

Whether you need a thumb splint for post-surgical support or for support after a minor injury (like a partial tear), the thumb splint with a spica will help keep the thumb from moving excessively. This lets the thumb rest. That rest allows it to mend better in the 4-6 weeks that most thumb ligaments require to heal completely.

With simple diagnoses now available, it's common today for doctors to identify the condition known as de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. This is essentially tendinitis at the base of the thumb. 

It occurs in one of several ways, such as with arthritis, trauma to the thumb, or repetitively and forcefully gripping and releasing objects. If you have this condition, moving your thumb while grasping or making a fist will cause pain. 

The Finkelstein test can determine if you have this condition. Bend your thumb across your palm, then close your fingers over the thumb. Next, bend your wrist toward your little finger. This will cause pain at the base of your thumb if you have de Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

The most severe cases of de Quervain’s tenosynovitis require surgery. However, in the majority of instances the disorder is treatable with cortisone injections and bracing. A thumb splint with a spica will help rest the thumb while the other fingers can work, if only in a limited way. For maximum benefit you must wear the splint day and night, generally for 4-6 weeks.