REVIEW  RHIZARTHROSIS 

Minerva Orthopedics 2022 June;73(3):259-70

DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8469.21.04112-2

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

The evolution of biological arthroplasties in the treatment of basal thumb osteoarthritis

Teresa BENIGNO ✉, Francesca FISSORE, Elisabetta MIJNO, Monica CICIRELLO, Bruno BATTISTON

Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology Surgery, CTO Hospital, A.O. Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy

Trapezio-metacarpal (TM) osteoarthritis is the most common cause of basal thumb pain. The failure of non-operative treatment led to the development of surgical techniques aimed at relieving pain. Along the years several solutions have been proposed, ranging from TM joint fusion to more recent prosthetic replacements. However, biological arthroplasties became the most popular and utilized option, since they leave enough joint mobility without the use of artificial implants. The first surgical approach was the simple resection of the affected bones, or part of them. Over time, many associated techniques were developed in order to fill the empty space left by trapezium removal and to stabilize the first ray. This paper aims to present and compare the main techniques that have been proposed concerning biological arthroplasties. The Ligament Reconstruction and Tendon Interposition (LRTI) technique has generally been the most proposed and published over the years. Nevertheless, the most recent studies and systematic reviews suggest that LRTI would not bring real advantages to simple trapeziectomy.

KEY WORDS: Thumb; Osteoarthritis; Arthroplasty; Carpometacarpal joints; Ligaments; Reconstructive surgical procedures