If you have thumb pain that won’t go away, you may have heard about big surgeries that sound scary. This article shares findings from a study about a smaller surgery that helped people with a specific kind of wrist and thumb arthritis. The surgery is done through tiny cuts using a camera. It is called arthroscopy, which means the doctor looks inside with a small camera and uses tiny tools.
Here are three important things the study found:
- Six out of seven patients had their pain completely disappear after this small surgery
- Most patients got stronger or stayed just as strong after healing
- No patients had serious problems from the surgery
Key Findings at a Glance
- According to this study, seven out of eight patients had their pain decrease after arthroscopic surgery for STT osteoarthritis
- Research shows that six patients experienced complete pain disappearance following the procedure
- Studies indicate that grip strength increased or stayed stable in seven out of eight cases
- Medical evidence suggests this minimally invasive approach caused no complications in any patient
- The average patient age was 70 years and follow up occurred at 13 months after surgery
What Is STT Osteoarthritis?
You may be wondering what STT means. Let me explain it simply.
STT stands for three small bones in your wrist. These bones are the scaphoid, the trapezoid, and the trapezium. They sit right where your wrist meets your thumb. When these bones rub together over time, the smooth cushion between them wears away. This wearing away is called osteoarthritis.
When STT osteoarthritis happens, you may feel pain at the base of your thumb or in your wrist. The pain often gets worse when you use your hand. Simple things like opening jars or turning keys can hurt.
Who Was in This Study?
Let us look closer at who the doctors helped. The study included eight people who had STT osteoarthritis. These patients tried medicines and other treatments first. But the pain did not go away.
According to this study, the average age of the patients was 70 years old. All surgeries happened between 2004 and 2007. The same surgeon did all the operations. This means the technique was the same for everyone.
After surgery, the patients came back for a checkup. The average time for this checkup was 13 months later. An independent examiner looked at each patient. This examiner did not do the surgeries. This helps make sure the results are fair and honest.
Here is where it gets interesting. Two patients had to be removed from the final results. Why? Because they needed another surgery later for a different thumb problem called rhizarthrosis. This left six patients whose results the doctors could study clearly.
What Did the Surgery Involve?
The surgery is called arthroscopic distal pole resection of the scaphoid. That sounds very complicated. Let me break it down into simple pieces.
Arthroscopic means the doctor uses a tiny camera. The camera goes into your wrist through a very small cut. The doctor can see inside your wrist on a screen. This means the cuts on your skin are much smaller than in regular surgery.
Distal pole means the far end of a bone. In this case, it is the end of the scaphoid bone that touches the other bones.
Resection means to remove or cut away. So the doctor removes the end of the scaphoid bone. This end is the part that is rubbing and causing pain.
Research shows that this surgery can be done as outpatient treatment. This means you can go home the same day. You do not need to stay in the hospital overnight.
What Were the Results?
Now we come to the most important part. What actually happened to these patients after surgery?
Pain Relief
According to this study, pain decreased in seven out of the eight cases. Even better, the pain disappeared completely in six cases. Imagine living with constant pain and then having it go away. That is what happened for most of these patients.
One patient did not get the same good result. But even in that case, the pain did not get worse. It just did not improve as much.
Grip Strength
You may be wondering if removing part of a bone makes your hand weaker. Studies indicate that grip strength actually increased or stayed the same in seven cases. Only one patient had weaker grip after surgery.
This is very important. It means most people kept their strength. They could still hold things and use their hands normally.
Movement and Flexibility
Medical evidence suggests that movement stayed the same in six cases. The patients could bend and move their wrists and thumbs just as well as before surgery. In some cases, movement actually got better because there was less pain.
Overall Outcomes
The doctors rated the results this way:
- Six patients had very good results
- One patient had a good result
- One patient had a bad result, but nothing got worse
Research shows that no patient needed to have the surgery done again. There were no complications. Complications are problems that happen during or after surgery, like infections or bleeding.
| Outcome Measured | Number of Patients Improved |
|---|---|
| Pain decreased | 7 out of 8 |
| Pain completely gone | 6 out of 8 |
| Strength increased or stable | 7 out of 8 |
| Movement stayed the same | 6 out of 8 |
Why Does This Matter for You?
If you have STT osteoarthritis, you have choices. Some doctors might suggest a bigger surgery called arthrodesis. Arthrodesis means fusing bones together so they cannot move. This stops the pain, but it also stops movement.
According to medical evidence, the arthroscopic surgery described in this study gives very good results. But it is less burdensome than fusion surgery. It also has fewer complications.
The surgery uses tiny cuts. You can go home the same day. Most patients in this study got much better. Their pain went away and they kept their strength and movement.
This gives you and your doctor something important to talk about. If medicines and therapy have not helped your STT pain, this smaller surgery might be a good option to consider first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is arthroscopic surgery for STT arthritis painful?
According to this study, most patients had their pain decrease or completely disappear after the surgery. During recovery, you may have some soreness, but the long term result for most patients was much less pain than before surgery.
How long does recovery take after this surgery?
The study does not give exact recovery times. But it does say this is outpatient surgery, meaning you go home the same day. Patients were checked again at an average of 13 months to see the final results.
Will I lose strength in my hand after this surgery?
Research shows that seven out of eight patients in this study either gained strength or kept the same strength after surgery. Only one patient had decreased strength.
Is this surgery better than fusing the bones together?
According to this study, arthroscopic resection of the distal pole of the scaphoid is less burdensome and has fewer complications than arthrodesis, which is fusion surgery. It also provided very good results for most patients.
What Should You Take Away?
Living with thumb and wrist pain is hard. It affects everything you do with your hands. This study offers hope.
Studies indicate that a small arthroscopic surgery can help people with STT osteoarthritis. The surgery removes the part of the bone that is causing pain. Most patients got much better. Their pain went away. They kept their strength and movement.
The surgery is done through tiny cuts. You can go home the same day. There were no serious complications in this study.
If you have tried medicines and therapy without success, talk to your doctor about this option. It might be a good first step before considering bigger surgeries.
Remember, every person is different. What worked for the patients in this study might work differently for you. But it is good to know that less invasive options exist.
Important Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. It does not replace talking to your doctor. Every patient is unique. Your doctor knows your specific situation and medical history. Always discuss your symptoms and treatment options with a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about surgery or treatment.
Research Source
This article is based on research published by Normand, J.; Desmoineaux, P.; Boisrenoult, P.; Beaufils, P. in Chir Main (2012).
Read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.main.2011.11.005