Patient Testimonials - Hiko

Fairfax – Detached Thumb Ligament

An avid tennis player and a former ski instructor, Hiroko (Hiko) quickly regained her confidence on skis when she and her family were enjoying a Canadian ski trip in December 2005.  Hiko became so adventurous, in fact, that she decided to follow the Canadian national team on a downhill run.  Unfortunately, that run ended in a major fall.  Hiko failed to release her pole and severely pulled her thumb.  Unaware that her thumb injury needed attention and bothered more by a sore shoulder, she skied again the following day.  It was not until ten days later when Hiko had returned to Virginia that she began to notice that her thumb was just not functioning well and making it difficult to complete simple tasks. 

After a painful attempt at playing tennis with her husband, Hiko sought medical care for her thumb.  An internet search led her to Commonwealth Orthopaedics.  Anxious to be seen quickly, she was excited to get in for an appointment the next day.  Once at Commonwealth, Hiko’s physician had only to take a glance at her thumb to determine the ligament was detached, and outpatient surgery was scheduled for the following day.

Hiko says of her experience, “My Commonwealth physician was great.  He was not only good technically, but personally as well.  He’s a marvelous person, and that made going to see him fun.” 

Following surgery to repair her ligament, Hiko’s thumb was casted.  Once the cast was removed, she did two weeks of physical therapy to begin the process of rehabilitating her thumb.  As predicted by her physician, Hiko was able to return to tennis exactly three months after her surgery.  As her thumb continues to heal, she is playing tennis regularly again and looking forward to competing in national tournaments this summer.  

Hiko marvels, “It was incredible how quickly I got in to see a doctor and how quickly they performed the surgery.  I was so lucky to find Commonwealth Orthopaedics and my physician there.”