Barry Larkin, Shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds

NAME: Barry Larkin
TEAM: Cincinnati Reds
POSITION: Shortstop
INJURY: Lacerated left middle finger; torn ligament

OTHER ATHLETES AFFECTED

Basketball: Shammond Williams, Seattle SuperSonics

OTHER FINGER INJURIES

Hockey: Alexei Zhitnik, Buffalo Sabres; Basketball: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers; Football: Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys

WHAT HAPPENED

Barry Larkin injured his left middle finger while diving for a ball in the second inning of a Reds' 9-2 loss to the Dodgers. While diving, his glove snagged on the Astroturf, which awkwardly bent his hand and tore the skin and the ligament of his finger. He got up wincing and gripping his finger. He walked off the field with team trainer Greg Lynn and underwent surgery the following day. Team manager Jim Bowden attributed the injury to the Astroturf.

PLAYER BIO

Barry Larkin is one of the premier shortstops in the National League. At 36, he is a 14-year veteran. He is a 10-time All-Star and has won three Gold Gloves, nine Silver Slugger awards, and one Roberto Clemente Award, and the 1995 NL MVP award. In 1996, he became the first shortstop to join the "30-30 club," hitting 33 home runs and stealing 36 bases. He graduated from the University of Michigan, where he was the first two-time Big 10 MVP.

WHAT IS A TORN LIGAMENT?

Ligaments in the fingers are important because they stabilize the finger and allow it to achieve its full range of motion. They stretch from one bone to another and stabilize the joint. In Larkin's case, the ligament tore completely; this produced significant instability in the finger (excessive side-to-side movement) that required surgery. The injury can be caused by a jamming of the finger or a force applied to the side of the finger or joint. Athletes might describe a sharp, searing pain in the finger and would see increased and immediate swelling and tightness.

DIAGNOSIS

Ligaments connect to the joint capsule, so during diagnosis, doctors might find ligament and joint capsule damage, as well as excessive instability in the finger. Similar injuries to be ruled out include bone fractures and tendon tears (evidenced by the inability to move the finger). Orthopaedists can confidently diagnose this type of injury even before running tests such as X-rays and MRIs.

TREATMENT

If the joint pops out of position during the injury, it is immediately "placed" back in its usual alignment. Then the injury is iced and wrapped for compression. The athlete is given anti-inflammatory drugs, and the finger is immobilized. If surgery is necessary, the finger is opened up and the ligament is reattached with sutures. If the ligament has actually pulled away from the bone at either side, sutures, tacks, or even transplanted ligament of the same general thickness may be used.