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CMC Arthroplasty with STABLYX Implant

Bones, Joints & Muscles | Last Active: Nov 27, 2023 | Replies (145)

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@ras65

Hi Sue! I read your comments about the tightrope. I am also a Stablyx implant recipient (LT) in Dec 2017. I have not had a good experience. I'm active 56YO with young children, so I had to do what I could to could keep up in the future. Enter the Stablyx. I had another surgery in Dec 2018 to remove "scar tissue" which did nothing to relieve the pain. I have difficulty picking up my kids, who are now 6! If I simply bump the thumb, I'm on my knees, ready to pass out (I have passed out) from the pain. My hand surgeon moved his practice to Nebraska. I do have great insurance and had the therapies without fail.

I must do something. The next closest surgeon (80Miles) just happens to be Jorge Orbay, the inventor of the Stablyx implant, in collaboration with Skeletal Dynamics. I did see Dr. Orbay in April of 2019, for a second opinion. He told me by September, I'd wake up one day and realize my thumb is better. I was optimistic, but that optimism has vanished. I will see him again soon, to discuss surgical repair options.

Regarding the tightrope, I recently visited a new hand surgeon, regarding my RT thumb, with which I'm having a different pain, shooting up my arm. I thought it was a tendon issue, but I need the CMC repair on that thumb as well. He highly recommended the tightrope method. I read a patient testimony of the tightrope snapping and the resulting surgery. I have discounted the tightrope for that reason. I will wait until I have a positive outcome with my LT implant, before deciding what course to take with my RT thumb. I have seen the composite implants as well. If you have any experiences or know of others who can shed light on a good solution, I would greatly appreciate it!

Be careful with that tightrope! I'm very active and work with my hands, which are large for my size, so that's why the snapped case scares me!

Kind regards,
Alan

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Replies to "Hi Sue! I read your comments about the tightrope. I am also a Stablyx implant recipient..."

@ras65 I too read the reviews about the tightrope potentially snapping. However, in my (mostly older) groups of gardeners and seamstresses, there have been many repaired CMC joints, and those who have the tightrope have been quite satisfied with it. I knew Stablyx wasn't for me after my own negative experiences with metal poisoning from chromium cobalt hip implants and complications suffered by two friends. I also knew the "tendon harvest" method carried a longer recovery time than I was willing to deal with. The hand surgeon who uses the tightrope was highly recommended by my ortho, whom I respect greatly.
I have dealt with the possible "fragility" of the repair by wearing a brace when I do heavy work (I do my own gardening and landscaping, including stonework, removing shrubs, etc.) This predated the surgery because I have also had a carpectomy, which affected the strength and stability of the wrist as well. So far, so good.
Good luck deciding on your next step, I hope there is a solution to the pain you are dealing with.
Sue