Rodeo roping thumb injuries.

Three men with thumb injuries sustained during rodeo roping competition have been treated recently. Two of the thumbs were amputated, and the third was partially avulsed. The mechanism of injury was identical in all three cases. The thumbs were entwined between the rope and saddle horn while reducing the slack in the rope and then subjected to shearing and crushing forces as tension was placed on the rope. These injuries emphasize the importance of keeping the thumb upward and clear of the rope to avoid entrapment between the rope and saddle horn.