When should you have basal thumb surgery?

When should you have basal thumb surgery?

Chi says the ideal patient for the LRTI procedure is “someone with painful arthritis at the thumb basal joint who wants to preserve thumb motion and decrease pain.” However, he adds, “we do not recommend this for patients younger than 45 who have heavy, manual jobs. Those patients are better off with fusion surgery.”

How long does it take to recover from basal thumb surgery?

Three to 4 weeks after the procedure, the cast is removed and active range-of-motion therapy begins. Strengthening begins around 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. The majority of patients return to most activities by 3 months after surgery. Full recovery of normal activities may require up to 6 months.

What is basal thumb surgery?

Basal joint reconstruction surgery, also known as arthroplasty, is a procedure for people with advanced “wear and tear” arthritis in the basal joint of their thumb that has not improved with nonsurgical approaches.

How painful is a Trapeziectomy?

People often say they experience pain when they pinch their thumb to open packets or peel vegetables, or that they don’t have a strong grip anymore, due to pain. As the arthritis progresses, there may be obvious swelling at the base of the thumb, pain even when resting and a thumb that appears crooked.

How successful is a Trapeziectomy?

A trapeziectomy is excellent at removing the pain of the arthritis, and with a reduction in pain, you will notice an increase in grip and pinch strength and overall function. However, the recovery from this procedure is slow. It takes most patients 4-6 months to return to all their normal activities.

Is basal thumb surgery successful?

Though the surgery is successful in stabilizing the thumb, it is followed by a minimum six-month recovery time before the patient regains their strength and grasp, Ruch says. With fiberwire ligament reconstruction, recovery time is shortened to three months.

What can go wrong after a Trapeziectomy?

Possible complications of a trapeziectomy Possible problems include swelling, bruising, bleeding, blood collecting under the wound (haematoma), infection and splitting open of the wound (dehiscence).

Why is a Trapeziectomy so painful?

It is a saddle- shaped joint which gives the thumb a large range of motion. However, it is one of the factors that makes the joint prone to degradation. This degradation causes pain, which is initially related to activity, including pinching and gripping.