title: Pyrocarbon spacer as a trapezium replacement for arthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint; a follow-up study of 60 cases.
abstract: Rhizarthrosis is the most common degenerative joint disease of the hand, affecting about 10% of the population. We report our results with trapezium replacement using a pyrocarbon spacer. Between January 2005 and April 2010, 70 patients underwent trapeziectomy with interposition of a pyrocarbon spacer. Sixty patients were examined at an average follow-up of 23.6 (5-64) months after the operation. Six (8.6%) of the 70 implanted pyrocarbon spacers dislocated. Based on the assessment scale devised by Buck-Gramcko, 19 patients achieved a very good outcome (31.6%), 31 patients (51.6%) had a good outcome, six results were satisfactory (10%) and four patients (6.6%) had a poor result. In this study, trapeziectomy and implantation of a pyrocarbon spacer achieved good or very good results in 83.2% of cases. The high cost of the implant and the observed rate of spacer dislocation should however be considered critically. While the short-term results of this method are encouraging, long-term outcomes will show whether this technique can keep up with the good results of suspension arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany. Gabor.Szalay@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szalay
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Hospital Saarbrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Christof
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scheufens
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schnettler
authors.affiliation: Orthix Center, Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Christ
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schleicher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002244:Carbon / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D011859:Radiography; D051222:Trapezium Bone / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C009139:pyrolytic carbon; D002244:Carbon