|
Eric Wegener, MD, Jackson , MS
Carpometacarpal arthritis of the thumb is a common condition treated by the hand surgeon. When conservative treatments such as splinting, medications, injections, etc. fail to alleviate the symptoms of carpometacarpal arthritis, numerous surgical options exist. One such option is arthroscopy with debridement of the joint with or without tenotomy of the abductor pollicis longus tendon. Numerous open treatments have been proven effective. A method of selecting patients appropriate for arthroscopy is considered. Criteria include radiological class, clinical severity as well as the patient's age, activity demands, and desires.
Six patients underwent arthroscopy of the thumb carpometacarpal joint for basal joint arthritis. Selection criteria, surgical procedure, postoperative results, and patient satisfaction will be discussed.
|
