A Bennett’s or Rolando fracture needs 6 to 12 weeks to heal and at least 6 to 8 weeks in a cast or thumb spica splint. Most need surgery, and pinch strength is the last thing to come back.
About 3 months for everyday life, 6 to 12 months for full strength. A hand therapist’s week-by-week trapeziectomy recovery: splint, pain, driving, work, and why pinch feels weaker at month 3.
Skier’s thumb is a torn UCL ligament on the inner side of the thumb knuckle. Partial tears heal in a thumb spica splint in 4 to 6 weeks; complete tears often can’t heal alone and need repair, ideally within about 3 weeks.
Thumb base (CMC) arthritis is wear of the joint where the thumb meets the wrist: a deep ache that flares with every pinch. A splint, joint protection and the right strengthening settle most; injections help flares, and surgery is for the joint that fails all of that.