MD88 FLT CREW HAS COLLISION WITH THE PUSHBACK TUG DURING ENG START.

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CONCERNS THE OP OF FLT FROM ZZZ TO CVG. I WAS THE CAPT AND PIC OF THAT FLT. I WAS ASSISTED IN THE COCKPIT BY FO AND WE WERE OPERATING AN MD88. IN DEN WE WERE INITIALLY DELAYED FOR APPROX 1 HR FOR MAINT DISCREPANCIES. ONCE THESE ITEMS WERE CLRED BY MAINT; WE PUSHED BACK; STARTED ENGS AND TAXIED TO THE RWY AREA. WHILE PERFORMING OUR PRETKOF CHKS; HOWEVER; WE COULD NOT OBTAIN A PROPER SLAT INDICATION/TKOF LIGHT. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN THE ACFT. MAINT CAME ON BOARD AGAIN AND PERFORMED THE PROCS NECESSARY TO CLR THE PROB. WHEN MAINT INDICATED THEY WERE FINISHED AND THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES HAD BEEN MADE; WE PREPARED AGAIN FOR DEP. PRIOR TO OUR ENG START SEQUENCE; I DID NOT DIRECT RE-ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE BEFORE START CHKLIST. WE HAD NOT LEFT OUR SEATS OR UNSTRAPPED; AND I BELIEVED WE WERE PREPARED TO GO. (NOTE: IF WE HAD RUN THE BEFORE START CHKLIST; THE RESPONSES TO IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NORMAL DUE TO THE PROCS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THE MEL.) PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL AND THE INITIAL STAGES OF ENG START ALSO APPEARED NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER START; HOWEVER; I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS MOVING FORWARD WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO THE TOWBAR. IT WAS THEN I SAW THAT THE THROTTLES WERE ADVANCED. THE FO AND I REACHED FOR THEM AT THE SAME TIME AND PULLED THEM TO IDLE. BY THAT TIME; HOWEVER; THE ACFT HAD MOVED SUFFICIENTLY FORWARD TO CONTACT THE TUG. WE SET THE PARKING BRAKE AND SECURED THE ENG. I DETERMINED THERE WERE NO INJURIES ON THE GND OR AMONG THE PAX. 1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS TREATED FOR AN INJURY TO HER SHOULDER. SUBSEQUENT EXTERNAL EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED A FUSELAGE TEAR APPROX 4 FT LONG.