Bone on bone thumbs

Posted by lioness @lioness, Sep 3, 2018

Is anyone suffering with thumbs Ive had this for awhile , Dr would inject the thumb but now my rheumatologist refused so am seeing a orthopedic Dr has anyone else had this problem?

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Hi, yes i have one bone on bone arthritic thumb. Currently researching LRTI surgery.

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@rockynrob

I've been having injections in both thumbs approx. every 4 months for 5 years. Bone on bone from arthrisits. I am a legal assistant and play the piano. Last injection to rt. thumb was 2 months ago and a flare-up two days ago was the worst yet. Pain/swelling advanced into my wrist and I could not relieve the pain without total immobilization of my lower rt. arm. Ortho injected and relief was almost immediate. I see a surgeon in two days.
I need to work another 7 years. Will this surgery put an early end to that?

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Hi, how'd the ortho visit go? Are you going to have surgery?

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@stoney

Hello Lioness, I had bone on bone in the first metacarpal joint (thumb) of both hands. The injections are never going to give you back the cartilage you've lost. This is why I felt I had to go through with the joint replacement. I'm 10 months and 6 months post-op. Still in pain but hopefully things will improve the more I work on strength and flexibility.

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Hi Stoney, you had an actual joint replacement? I'm contemplating LRTI but it scares me but i am not ready to go to a nursing home, never will be. I'm still working. Mostly, I have been avoiding the use of the thumb. For example, i don't hold the steering wheel in the car using the thumb It is affecting ADLs. You have my empathy on the post-op pain. I'm still recuperating from two TKAs. Rt knee in 2017 is finally getting better and Lt knee was 2018 Actually, the stiff feeling is more bothersome than pain (minimal) at this point.

Back to the thumb. Injections are so short term. I've had one.

Thoughts?

n

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@nancylh

Hi, how'd the ortho visit go? Are you going to have surgery?

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Thanks for asking. I met with the surgeon who is willing to continue injecting my thumbs until such time as they fail to relieve the pain. He impressed upon me that the thumb replacement is a Major Surgery. I agreed to wait until there are no other options.

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@rockynrob

Thanks for asking. I met with the surgeon who is willing to continue injecting my thumbs until such time as they fail to relieve the pain. He impressed upon me that the thumb replacement is a Major Surgery. I agreed to wait until there are no other options.

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@rockynrob @nancyyh My thumbs have started in 2009 Ive had lots of injections on them when I went to hand ortho Dr he said they dont like to inject a lot so he told me to use thumb brace and voltaren cream for the inflammation I have brace on now and it does help. I drink ginger-tumeric tea Tumeric is anti inflammatory so hope some of this will help I try not to have any surgery ,last resort.Good luck to all thumbs here

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I was about 55 years old when my thumb gave me lots of painful problems. It was so bad that I could no longer peal a potato. My basal joint was so worn that my thumb slid right off of the joint. I had a wonderful hand doctor. He took a tendon from my arm and split it in two lengthwise. He took one part of the split tendon and constructed a new basal joint and left the other part of the tendon in my arm for stability. I have never had any problems with this joint since. This was done thirty years ago.

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I just had my left thumb surgery done on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. I went with the CMC joint arthroplasty/tendon insertion. I’ve been dealing with pain, weakness, instability, unable to do do anything more than my job for More years than I can remember. I tried therapy, braces, anti-inflammatories- oral and topical , steroid injections, total
Rest except when working, my thumb was to the point where I couldn’t use it I had to choose disability or surgery. Currently I’m having a lot of swelling especially in my thumb and my forearm and I just wanted to hear from others when I might expect the swelling to go down

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@deannern

I just had my left thumb surgery done on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. I went with the CMC joint arthroplasty/tendon insertion. I’ve been dealing with pain, weakness, instability, unable to do do anything more than my job for More years than I can remember. I tried therapy, braces, anti-inflammatories- oral and topical , steroid injections, total
Rest except when working, my thumb was to the point where I couldn’t use it I had to choose disability or surgery. Currently I’m having a lot of swelling especially in my thumb and my forearm and I just wanted to hear from others when I might expect the swelling to go down

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@deannern Your braver then me Im still getting inj.in my thumb which last along time .one thing I can tell you about the swelling keep your hand higher then your heart this will drain the fluid down ,ice helps with swelling and inflammation which causes pain also . Let us know how your doing.Lioness

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I’ve recently been diagnosed with bone on bone arthritis in metacarpophalangeal joint of right thumb (I’ve had this for a while but put off officially seeing someone about it). Saw an Ortho Surgeon who suggested (1) a steroid injection under ultrasound (2) referral to a hand specialist for perhaps splint therapy (3) fusion surgery. Have had 1 steroid injection with only moderate result. Can anyone share their journey with having this type of surgery (using wire)? I’m 68 and working full time, so would be interested in recovery period, outcomes, whether you think the surgery was worth it etc.

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@rockynrob

I've been having injections in both thumbs approx. every 4 months for 5 years. Bone on bone from arthrisits. I am a legal assistant and play the piano. Last injection to rt. thumb was 2 months ago and a flare-up two days ago was the worst yet. Pain/swelling advanced into my wrist and I could not relieve the pain without total immobilization of my lower rt. arm. Ortho injected and relief was almost immediate. I see a surgeon in two days.
I need to work another 7 years. Will this surgery put an early end to that?

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I’d love an answer to that too. I need the surgery but having it, plus the time off work plus the rehab process may see me out of action for a longer period of time than I’m willing to take off at the moment.

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