Thumb Joint Replacement
Thumb Joint Replacement
A thumb joint prosthesis offers patients rapid healing and full mobility of the affected joint very quickly after surgery. Designed similarly to that of a hip joint replacement, the thumb prosthesis gives patients a pain-free and completely mobile future.
Excessive wear of the thumb joint can affect a patient’s quality of life and can be the cause of tremendous pain. Thumb joint pain can make it difficult to grab things and to hold them in one’s hand. Generally, patients can find relief through surgery. The use of an artificial joint when performing a thumb joint replacement promises full mobility coupled with a relatively short recovery time.
Your advantages at OrthoCenter Munich
- International Excellence in Orthopaedics: Treatment of patients from around the world with multilingual care and the highest international standards.
- Scientifically Leading Expertise: Over one hundred scientific publications and international research ensure evidence-based medicine at the highest level.
- Modern Conservative and Minimally Invasive Therapies: Regenerative medicine such as PRP, hyaluronic acid or stem cell therapy combined with precise arthroscopic surgery.
- Specialisation in Shoulder, Knee, Elbow and Ankle: Individual diagnostics and treatment for all relevant joint conditions and injuries.
- High-Level Sports Orthopaedics: Modern treatment concepts and structured return-to-sport strategies for recreational and professional athletes.
- Premium Private Practice with Personal Care: Short pathways, direct communication with your physician and individual, high-quality support throughout the entire course of treatment.
Advantages of replacement
Thumb operations are generally completed using techniques pioneered by Epping. The disadvantage of such a treatment is that the patient’s hand must be kept in a cast for four weeks, after which physiotherapy can take up to four months. Following a thumb joint replacement, the thumb can be fully used after approximately four weeks to complete normal tasks. In addition, the special design of the joint prosthesis offers better mobility than that which patients would experience following the Epping method.
How it works
Before inserting the thumb prosthesis, the entire arm needs to be numbed. In the gentlest way possible, the first part of the first metacarpal bone is removed, thus relieving pain. After this, the thumb joint is replaced. The design of this new joint is similar to that of an artificial hip joint: a ball joint allows for maximum mobility and enables the thumb to be fully utilised only four weeks after surgery.
Your hand specialist in Munich
PD Dr. med. Daniel P. Berthold
- Board-certified specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery with international training at TUM, LMU, and the University of Connecticut.
- Over 100 scientific publications and award-winning research.
- Modern conservative therapies such as PRP, hyaluronic acid, and stem cell procedures.
- Treatment of hand and finger joint osteoarthritis, including thumb base arthritis
- Treatment of post-traumatic symptoms, instability, and overuse injuries
- Individualized, conservatively oriented treatment concepts to improve function and reduce pain
