If you have thumb pain that won’t go away, you may have heard about a surgery that joins the thumb bones together. This surgery is called trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis. That is a big word. Let us break it down. It means doctors connect two bones at the base of your thumb so they become one solid bone. This can stop the pain caused by worn out thumb joints.
This article looks at a study that followed people who had this surgery. Doctors wanted to know if the surgery worked well. They watched these patients for about three years after the operation. Here is what they discovered.
Key Findings at a Glance
- Research shows that 75% of patients achieved complete bone healing after thumb fusion surgery
- Pain levels dropped significantly, with patients reporting an average pain score of 2.4 out of 10 after surgery
- According to this study, even when bones did not fully join together, most patients (five out of nine) had no symptoms
- Studies indicate that the type of surgical hardware used did not affect whether bones healed properly
- Medical evidence shows that proper surgical technique matters more than using bone grafts or choosing specific implants
In this article:
- What Is This Thumb Surgery?
- Who Was Studied?
- What Did the Results Show?
- What About Problems?
- Does the Type of Hardware Matter?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What This Means for You
- Important Information
- Research Source
What Is This Thumb Surgery?
The surgery is called trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis. Let us use a simpler name. We can call it thumb fusion. The word fusion means joining things together.
When the joint at the base of your thumb wears out, it can hurt a lot. The bones rub together. That rubbing causes pain every time you grip something or twist your thumb. Thumb fusion stops that rubbing by making the two bones into one.
You may be wondering why this matters. When bones cannot move against each other anymore, they cannot hurt you in that spot. The pain goes away for most people.
Who Was Studied?
According to this study, doctors looked at 37 people who had thumb fusion surgery. These surgeries happened over seven years at one medical center. The average age of the patients was 52 years old.
The doctors followed these patients for an average of 34 months. That is almost three years. This gave them enough time to see how well the surgery worked in the long run.
The surgeries used three different types of hardware. Hardware means the metal pieces that hold bones together while they heal. These included screws, plates, and wires. The groups were divided evenly. Some patients also received bone grafts. A bone graft is a small piece of bone added to help healing. Only 12.5% of patients received bone grafts.
What Did the Results Show?
Here is where it gets interesting. Research shows that 75% of patients achieved complete bone healing. That means three out of every four people had their thumb bones grow together completely.
Let us look at the pain levels. Doctors measured pain using something called a Visual Analog Scale. This is just a number from 0 to 10. Zero means no pain at all. Ten means the worst pain you can imagine. After surgery, the average pain score was 2.4. That is pretty low.
Studies indicate that patients also kept good thumb movement for daily tasks. Doctors measured this with the Kapandji Opposition Score. This score checks if you can touch your thumb to different parts of your hand. The average score was 8.1 out of 10. That is very good.
How Strong Were the Thumbs After Surgery?
Strength matters when you use your hands every day. The study measured three types of grip strength:
| Type of Grip | Average Strength After Surgery |
|---|---|
| Lateral pinch (holding a key) | 12.1 kg |
| Tripod pinch (three finger grip) | 3.6 kg |
| Tip to tip (precise pinch) | 1.5 kg |
These numbers show that people could use their thumbs for daily activities after healing.
What About Problems?
Not everything was perfect. Medical evidence shows that nine patients did not achieve full bone healing. This is called pseudoarthrosis. That word means false joint. The bones did not fully connect.
But here is the surprising part. Five of those nine patients had no pain or problems at all. Their thumbs worked fine even though the bones did not fully join together.
Three patients needed another surgery. Doctors performed a different procedure called trapeziectomy and tenosuspension. In this surgery, doctors remove one of the small bones and use a tendon to create a cushion. One patient had the fusion surgery done again.
Does the Type of Hardware Matter?
You might think that one type of screw or plate works better than another. According to this study, that was not true. The researchers found no connection between the type of implant used and whether bones healed properly. The statistics showed p equals 0.17. When this number is above 0.05, it means there is no strong connection.
The type of hardware also did not affect pain levels. The p value was 0.06 for pain. It did not affect thumb movement scores either. That p value was 0.45.
Let us look closer. What this means is that the surgical technique matters more than the brand or type of hardware. How the surgeon does the operation is more important than which screws or plates they choose.
What Really Matters for Success?
The study authors concluded that proper surgical technique is the key. Using bone grafts or choosing expensive implants did not make a big difference. What made the difference was doing the surgery correctly.
This is good news. It means the success depends more on the surgeon’s skill than on expensive materials.
About This Site
You are reading a simple explanation of real medical research. This site takes complicated scientific articles about thumb pain and rhizarthrosis and turns them into plain language. Every article here comes from published medical studies. We do not make up facts. We help you understand what scientists have discovered. Feel free to explore more articles to learn about your thumb pain and what options you have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will thumb fusion surgery take away all my pain?
According to this study, pain dropped significantly after surgery. The average pain score was 2.4 out of 10. That means most people had very little pain after healing. However, everyone is different. Some people may still have mild discomfort.
What happens if my bones do not heal together?
Research shows that even when bones did not fully join, five out of nine patients had no symptoms at all. They felt fine and could use their thumbs normally. Only three patients needed additional surgery. This suggests that incomplete healing is often not a serious problem.
Does it matter which type of screws or plates the surgeon uses?
Studies indicate that the type of hardware does not affect healing rates or pain levels. What matters most is that your surgeon uses proper technique during the operation. The skill of the surgeon is more important than the brand of implants.
Can I still move my thumb after fusion surgery?
Medical evidence shows that patients maintained good thumb movement for daily tasks. The average opposition score was 8.1 out of 10. This means most people could touch their thumb to different parts of their hand. You lose movement at the base joint, but other thumb joints still work normally.
What This Means for You
If you have severe thumb pain from arthritis, fusion surgery might help you. This study shows it works well for carefully chosen patients. Three out of four people achieved complete bone healing. Pain levels dropped a lot. Most people could use their thumbs for everyday activities.
Even if bones do not heal completely, you might still feel fine. Many patients with incomplete healing had no symptoms.
The most important thing is finding a skilled surgeon who uses good technique. The type of hardware matters less than you might think.
Talk to your doctor about whether this surgery is right for you. Every person is different. Your doctor can help you decide if thumb fusion fits your situation.
Important Information
This article explains medical research in simple terms. It is not medical advice. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problem. Always talk to your doctor about your symptoms and treatment options. Your doctor knows your specific situation and can give you personalized advice.
Research Source
This article is based on research by Tovar-Bazaga, Miguel; Martínez-Ulloa, Aarón; Luengo-Alonso, Gonzalo; Maestro-Carvajal, Rubén; Cervera-Irimia, Javier, published in the Journal of Wrist Surgery in 2023.