Finger/Thumb Finger joint replacement

[iceguy]

Interesting to read this. I had Burton's Arthroplasty of the right thumb in February of this year. After 3 months of PT, I have pretty much full use of the thumb but the pain (which is why I went in in the first place) is still there. Joint surgeries never seem to help for me.

 

[krazz]

@Josephine

It's a titanium-polyethylene implant.

 

[Josephine]

Thanks. Actually, no finger arthroplasties are done using cement.

 

[krazz]

@Josephine

Yeah by cement I meant sticking it in place better somehow, but I can't remember exactly what he said. He said if it was damaged again he didn't think there would be enough bone to keep the whole finger. I still think he should have done it. I probably won't need it as much later on in life :D

 

[Josephine]

Yes, I knew what you meant by 'cement'! But there isn't enough room in a phalanx (finger bone) to put in enough bone cement to be useful. So I don't see how he could use it.

 

[MrLee]

Well after 2 surgeries and months of rehab, my doctor has ended my recovery from replacement of the PIP joint in my middle finger. I have almost zero voluntary movement in the joint. When opposed, the finger can move up to 40 degrees, i.e. when I grab something. It sits at an angle of 35-40 degrees at all other times.

On the plus side, there is no more pain, which of course was the reason for seeking help in the first place. However the result is disappointing, and I do not know if I would have done it had I known I would lose so much use of the finger, however it is likely I would have at least waited longer. As an anesthesiologist friend of mine told me, surgeries are always a risk.

I wish anyone considering joint replacement to carefully consider the possible consequences. In my case it turnout out to be an exchange of freedom from pain for some unexpected loss of use of the finger. Good luck to all.

 

[Jockette]

I wish anyone considering joint replacement to carefully consider the possible consequences. In my case it turnout out to be an exchange of freedom from pain for some unexpected loss of use of the finger. Good luck to all.

But we are rarely given enough information before surgery to make such a decision.

We all expect a good outcome.

My partial knee replacement has gone like your finger, the arthritis pain is gone but I now have more discomfort and limitations than I did before surgery. I’m sorry I did it, the trade has not been worth it.

 

[napper]

I'm sorry I didn't read this before you had your replacement. I had my middle metacarpophalangeal joint replaced about three years ago. It worked wonders! I was out of pain! It was a long recovery, but well worth it. However, I am now facing having it done again as the silicone prostheses has broken. It started swelling so rapidly that I ended up in the ER because the pain was unbearable. My surgeon is putting me on the list to get it redone, I just don't know when. I'm hoping within the next week or two as I'll be in pain until it's done.
This is what it looked like when I went to the ER.

 

[bkish]

I am sorry you had problems after your surgery and hope you will have improvement. It has been five weeks post second and third metacarpophalangeal joints replacement on my dominant hand. Last week the full cast was removed and a hand splint made that I wear 24/7, removing hourly during the day to do beginning exercises. So far I am very pleased with the progress. I will wear the splint and have weekly occupational therapy for the next six weeks. My replacements are silicone. I had had complete subluxation in the index finger knuckle where the finger bone and the bone from the hand were no longer meeting but “floating “ next to each other. They are in allignment now. Unfortunately, he was not able to fuse the distal joints near my nails from being large and facing the wrong direction; nor the PIP joint on the ring finger that is permanently bent at about 45 degrees. I am developing the same MCP joint deformity on the left hand. The worst part of it all is the lengthy incapacity of only using one hand for so long. So I would not look forward to another lengthy period of life at a standstill. But it is amazing what they can do today!