Dr. Steven Rueda is one of the most sought after surgeons for hand and finger arthritis in Palm Beach. Osteoarthritis, commonly known as arthritis, can occur in any of the joints of the hand. Most commonly it is present in the joints of the fingers and thumb. The word “arthritis” means inflammation in the joint. The symptoms can be very debilitating and limits people from doing basic every day activities.
WHAT CAUSES HAND AND FINGER ARTHRITIS?
The cause of arthritis is poorly understood. It is however more common with age and after trauma. The normal joint anatomy consist of the two ends of a bone covered by a cartilage cap or cartilage surface; the space between the two surfaces is covered with joint fluid that assist in lubrication. In arthritis, the cartilage in the surface wears out leading the bone to be in contact with bone (See Image). This rubbing of bone-on-bone leads to the pain and inflammation seen in arthritis. The joints affected by hand and finger arthritis are called distal interphalangeal joint (DIP joint), the proximal interphalagngeal joint (PIP joint), and the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP joints).
HAND AND FINGER ARTHRITIS PROCEDURE
There are three main types of hand and wrist arthritis surgery: wrist denervation, wrist fusion, wrist replacement (arthroplasty). Dr. Rueda is an expert in all of these procedures, and has presented on the subject in national meetings. Some of the differences across the types of surgery are listed below:
There is a single longitudinal incision in the back of the finger
There is a zig-zag hidden incision centered on the joint in
There is a single longitudinal incision in the back of the finger
Goals of Surgery
Joint denervation:
Removes the nerves of the affected finger joints to reduce symptoms of pain
Joint Fusion:
Fuses or joins the two raw bones that are rubbing together in the joint using wires, plates, or screws; it avoids pain by eliminating movement at site of the joint
Joint Replacement:
Replaces the ends of the bones with implants; it avoids pain by now having implant-to-implant contact and no longer bone-on-bone while preserving motion.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Patients with classic history, symptoms, and exam who have failed conservative treatment are good candidates for the procedure.
Fortunately the treatments are all excellent at getting rid of the pain. Most patients feel the arthritis pain “gone” after the procedure while they recover from the different “procedure pain”. There will be some loss of finger motion after the procedures compared to before.
Complications in arthritis surgery are specific to every procedure. Dr. Rueda will discuss these with you personally. Fortunately these procedure are safe and enjoy very high success rates with low complication rates.