When basal joint arthritis occurs, the joint weakens and causes the bones to rub against each other, which results in pain. I have basal joint arthritis in my left thumb. To determine the incidence of revision surgery after thumb trapeziometacarpal joint arthroplasty and to present the expected results of future surgical treatment. This joint can be weakened due to injury or repetitive use. Other surgeries may be performed for Basilar Thumb Arthritis as well, depending on surgeon preference and experience. The thumb and hand will feel numb and sore at times, gradually improving as healing progresses. After-surgery care. We will try to make your experience as easy as possible. Pellegrini VD Jr, Burton RI. Purpose: To evaluate the outcome of revision surgery for failed thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthroplasty. Thumb arthritis may be surgically treated with a fusion procedure. The basal joint, or carpometacarpal joint, connects the thumb to the base of the hand and plays a crucial role in gripping and pinching. How is the operation performed? Surgical Options for Thumb Basal Joint Arthritis Early Surgical Treatments. Seventy-two procedures in 53 patients with advanced basal joint arthritis are retrospectively evaluated with follow-up ranging from 12 months to 8 years. The first two or three days after surgery were very painful even with vicoden and I slept off an on for those days when the pain would allow. As described, a bone in the wrist is replaced by soft tissue, therefore a common side effect of this surgery is weakness in the thumb. This surgery is done for patients who have a lot of pain in the joint of their thumb due to arthritis. Thumb Basal Joint (CMC) Arthritis - Palm Beach, FL. If you’re dealing with basal joint arthritis, you know firsthand the discomfort and functional impediments it can cause. Methods. This cartilage acts as a cushion between the bones of the joint. Immobilisation will last for a total of six weeks using a splint, initially in resin and then replaced by a made-to-measure plastic splint which includes the base of the thumb and the wrist but leaves the long fingers free. Numerous techniques have been developed to address thumb basal joint arthritis. Basal joint surgery relieves the pain and functional deficits caused by basal joint arthritis. As with any surgery, there are risks of complication. Risky thumb surgery isn’t the only option for thumb pain and arthritis… The Interventional Orthopedic Solution for Thumb Pain and Arthritis. Surgery is not everyone’s friend. In many cases pain is relieved and mobility is restored by basal joint arthroplasty. 47 year old F had cmc joint thumb arthroplasty Aug 04. Other Types of Thumb Surgery. There are a number of surgical options for treating thumb arthritis depending on the stage of the disease and severity of symptoms. One of the earliest surgical treatments described was complete excision of the trapezium. From surgery to complete recovery, surgical treatment for basal thumb arthritis takes about three months. Pin was placed through thumb with no ligament wrap. We reviewed the patient database at our medical center and found 654 procedures performed between 1988 and 2000 for the treatment of thumb basal joint arthritis. Considering the importance in routine daily activities of the basal thumb joint, it is not surprising that degenerative conditions have long engaged the attention of hand surgeons. Thank you for choosing Palm Beach Hand to Shoulder for your upper extremity care. If these options are no longer working, surgery is considered. For relief, your physician may suggest such therapies as … I would suggest an interpositional arthroplasty. There are many treatment options, but surgery may be required if none of them are able to … If LRTI is not a good option for … Many techniques include trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction, most commonly performed by sacrificing a tendon that is used for ligament reconstruction and stabilization of the first metacarpal, with or without pin fixation. Treatment for thumb arthritis may include self-care measures, splints, medication or corticosteroid injections. Thumbs; Feet; It can take a while to heal -- sometimes many months -- from joint fusion surgery. If you have severe thumb arthritis, you may need surgery. When all else fails, thumb surgery may be last resort to in the treatment of thumb arthritis. This guide will help you understand. Benefits. The surgery will involve an incision at the base of the thumb, a piece of a tendon from the left forearm will be used to cushion the joint (where the corroded bone has been removed) and threaded through a drilled hole in the bone above the joint to help it all pull together. The thumb joint at the base of the thumb is the most mobile in the hand. After surgery, you will have to wear a thumb splint for 4-8 weeks, depending on what surgical procedure is used. Two options that may be worth consideration would be radiation treatment or a medication called Erivedge (Vismodegib). Complications of basal joint arthroplasty include bleeding, infection and nerve damage resulting in weakness of the thumb. Over the past 5 years, Dr DeHaan has preformed this technique for over 400 basilar joint arthritis patients. The basal (carpometacarpal) joint is the second most common location for osteoarthritis in the wrist and hand, and is the most common arthritic condition of the upper extremity to be treated with surgery. We move our thumbs hundreds of times each day. In addition, it might well be worth additional mohs surgery to see if clear margins can ultimately be obtained. When the joint degenerates, you typically experience pain that may be enough to prevent you from doing ordinary household tasks that you take for granted. Thumb arthritis: Very common problem. The choice of anesthetic will be discussed by the anesthetist, but may be a general anesthetic, where you are asleep, or a nerve block where your arm is numb, supplemented with sedation if required. I have used a cartilage graft vs soft tissue after removal of the damaged joint surfaces. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 32 patients with failed thumb CMC arthroplasty. Having treated basal thumb arthritis for over 25 years, Dr. DeHaan was excited to cultivate the Mini TightRope technique for CMC arthritis that stabilizes the basilar joint AND allows patients to move their hand and thumb within a week of their surgery. It allows you to move the thumb towards the palm of your hand. It will not resolve arthritis. I have put this information together with the patient scheduled for surgery to treat thumb arthritis in mind. Those patients are better off with fusion surgery." Patients return to normal activities gradually. Long-term results of silicone implant arthroplasty. Basal joint arthritis is usually seen in patients aged 50 to 70, and occurs more frequently in women than men. However, revisions may be done due to failure of the surgery in some cases. Conditions that can be Helped by a Basilar Joint of the Thumb Arthroscopic Surgery? Before surgery the pain in my thumb was unbearable and stopped me from doing the most simplest of tasks. If you HAVE arthritis, this will only buy you time and you will still be in pain. Research study: Failure Rates of Base of Thumb Arthritis Surgery: A Systematic Review. I am not back to my old self at all and wonder what to expect in the future. The cartilage graft keep the length of the thumb and eliminates the pain of bone rubbing against bone. The bones that form the thumb joint are set so they can grow together, or fuse. Introduction | Anatomy | Causes | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Surgery | Recovery. I feel at this point the surgery has been a successful and well worth the pain and discomfort that all surgery comes with. Normally very mobile, the basal joint allows you to move your thumb into all kinds of positions that allow you to pick things up, button clothing, open lids and the like. What has been your experience? Thumb CMC (Basal Joint) Arthroplasty - Thumb Joint Reconstruction . Introduction . Got cast off and stitches out Tuesday, and a removable splint made same day that allows a little more use of my fingers. BASAL THUMB CMC Joint ARTHROPLASTY SURGERY DAVID GESENSWAY, MD THE DAY OF SURGERY: Welcome! Again, this procedure is for pain control, generally reserved for cases that do not respond to other treatments. Once you’re done with the splint, a progressive physical therapy program helps you regain mobility and strength in your hand.