What is the Hook of Hamate?

The Hook of the Hamate is a small extension of the hamate bone that helps protect the Carpal Tunnel. It also has quite a few (but mostly insignificant) ligaments attached to it.

They say professional baseball players get this all the time, and that they can return to full grip strength in about 6 weeks..

But what about rock climbers? Well it just so happens I am both a rock climber and a recent victim of a hamate hook fracture! For all intensive purposes I can remain anonymous. I am going to record my experience to let my fellow climbers out there know what to expect if this ever happens to you. Brief personal climbing history - almost 5 years, sport @ 5.13a, boulder @ V9, but suck in the gym. Thats right, we're not asking, "oh how will my hamate hook fracture affect me when I am hiking 3 miles up a snow covered hill???", we're talking about hard technical actual rock climbing. So lets go back to the beginning.