Small joint of Hand Replacement

Like other joints in our body, the joints in the finger may also suffer from arthritis. If non-surgical treatment methods are not easing the pain, the doctor may suggest small joint replacement that replaces the surface of the finger’s joint.

The Procedure

There are mainly two types of replacement surgeries for arthritic fingers:

• Arthrodesis: which fuses the joint
• Arthroplasty: which replaces the joint

Usually, it is a day case surgery which can be done using local anesthesia. The surgeon removes the damaged joint by making a small incision and inserts the artificial joint. Alternatively, for the fusion, the surgeon sets the joint in a fixed position and no further movement is possible. Both types of surgeries reliably remove the pain from arthritis, but the results are different regarding the freedom of movement.