If conservative measures do not lead to the desired success, the following surgical measures can be considered for rhizarthrosis (carthrosis of the thumb saddle joint):
- Resecting arthroplasty (gold standard); in long-term studies, very good to good results have been achieved in 80-95%; the procedure:
- Resection (removal) of the arthritically altered os trapezium (carpal bone/large polygonal bone).
- Filling the resulting cavity by means of a tendoplasty (insertion of a tendon bundle).
- Disadvantage: slightly reduced strength in the thumb.
- Arthrodesis (stiffening surgery).
- Endoprosthetic replacement of the thumb saddle joint – this procedure has not yet become a standard procedure.