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Pyrocarbon thumb joint replacement
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Aug 28 10:00pm | Replies (110)Comment receiving replies
Hello @bagus
Every 3 month steroid injection sounds excessive. How long have you been doing that? Too many injection erodes the joint quicker 🙁
If you are interested in an implant (NOT a silastic implant), I would ask your surgeon for a referral to someone that does them.
Personally, I went with the implant due to my age & what I do for a living. Everybody situation is different & perhaps a tendon ball/wrap would be sufficient for you. I do think it's worth checking out all possible ways of surgical intervention so that you are well informed on the pros & cons of each procedure.
I'll see if I can search out a potential surgeon from my surgeon in the Denver area.... My guy is a professor of hand. microsurgery orthopedics at Mayo Rochester (Dr. Elhassan), so he trains a lot of surgeons himself....
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Hi var122,
Thanks for your reply.
I have had 2 injections at 3 months intervals. Both have given me significant, yet limited relief. Both at the thumb and wrist. I have osteoarthritis at 3 junctures.
This surgeon rejects all prosthetics. I will have to educate myself on possible prosthetic with out his help. At least, he's not in a rush for the scalpel, like the last one that I consulted. He says that he has another patient that has been taking 3 months injections for some time, satisfactorily. I am grateful for the relief that I do gain, but I am not satisfied.
This appeal to you and this Mayo Clinic string of discussion is an attempt to learn what the possibilities might be. I am very reluctant to have a joint removed without having it replaced with something more than a tendon wrap.
Any direction, advice, or information that you can offer is great.
Thanks, again.