Management of Advanced Trapeziometacarpal Arthrosis

Palmar oblique ligament reconstruction combined with tendon interposition (LRTI) arthroplasty with part of the flexor carpi radialis tendon was developed for advanced osteoarthritis of the thumb basal joint. Twenty-five procedures are reviewed with an average follow-up of 2 years, ranging from 1 to 4 1/2 years. LRTI arthroplasty more consistently improved pinch strength, increased grip strength endurance, and restored thumb web space than did silicone implant arthroplasty. Proximal metacarpal migration averaged only 11% of the initial arthroplasty space versus nearly 50% loss of height with silicone implants. Subluxation averaged only 7% of the width of the thumb metacarpal base relative to the scaphoid versus subluxation of 35% of the base of the implant with silicone arthroplasty. Excellent results were achieved in 23 thumbs or 92% of cases. No deterioration of function or stability has been noted over time, and no revisional procedures have been necessary. On the basis of these encouraging early results, LRTI arthroplasty has become our preferred surgical treatment for advanced basal joint osteoarthritis of the thumb.

The prevalence of basal thumb osteoarthritis was assessed in 143 post-menopausal women. The radiological prevalences of isolated carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis were 25% and 2% respectively. The prevalence of combined carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis was 8%. 28% of women with isolated carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and 55% with combined carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezial osteoarthritis complained of basal thumb pain.

To investigate whether palmaris longus interposition or flexor carpi radialis ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition improved the outcome of excision of the trapezium for the treatment of painful osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint. 183 thumbs with trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis were randomized for treatment by either simple trapeziectomy, trapeziectomy with palmaris longus interposition, or trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition using 50% of the flexor carpi radialis tendon. A K-wire was passed across the trapezial void during each of the 183 surgeries to hold the base of the thumb metacarpal at the level of the index carpometacarpal joint and was retained for 4 weeks in every case. All patients wore a thumb splint for 6 weeks. Each patient had subjective and objective assessments of thumb pain, stiffness, and strength before surgery and at 3 months and 1 year after surgery. The 3 treatment groups were well matched for age, dominance, and presence of associated conditions. Complications were distributed evenly among the 3 groups and no cases of subluxation/dislocation of the pseudarthrosis were observed. Of the 183 thumbs 82% achieved good pain relief and 68% regained sufficient strength to allow normal activities of daily living at the 1-year follow-up evaluation. Neither of these subjective outcomes nor the range of thumb movement was influenced by the type of surgery performed. Thumb key-pinch strength improved significantly from 3.5 kg before surgery to 4.6 kg at 1 year but the improvement in strength was not influenced by the type of surgery performed. The outcomes of these 3 variations of trapeziectomy were very similar at 1-year follow-up evaluation. In the short term at least there appears to be no benefit to tendon interposition or ligament reconstruction.