Arthrosis of the thumb saddle joint
The thumb saddle joint is one of the most often used joints. As in all arthroses, this involves a wearing down of the surface of the joint, which can prevent it from functioning correctly or even lead to considerable defective positioning. It can also bring about an inflammation, although it is not the same as chronic polyarthritis. The cause, as for all arthroses, is a mechanical overload of the joint; it affects women much more frequently. The disease sets in slowly, and some saddle joints do not cause any complaints. In some cases, complaints can be reduced as the deformation increases, probably due to some stiffening in the joint. The treatment of the disease is initially conservative and involves lotions, anti-inflammatory medication or splints and protection. A cortisone injection in the affected joint can often also provide long-term relief for the symptoms. If the symptoms are very severe and conservative treatment options have been exhausted, surgical therapies need to be discussed. The most commonly used procedure is the removal of the trapezium bone (part of the saddle joint) and the introduction of a strip of tendon as a “place holder”. This operation is mostly performed as short-stay surgery with anaesthesia of the arm.
The results of the operation are very positive (even in the long term); the thumb can once again be used for all everyday activities and the patient experiences a relief of the symptoms or even a complete lack of symptoms, which improves the quality of life enormously.
Left severe saddle joint arthrosis, right normal joint