After multiple steroid injections to both of my chronically painful thumbs I had both right and left thumbs, respectively, repaired with the Stabylx implants for CMC arthritis graded at 3 1/2-4 with adequate in situ trapezium bone health (a requirement for this implant type) No other significant arthritis of either wrist. Surgeon hand specialist recommended the Stabylx implants. The first (Rt) in Aug 2020, the second (Lt) in Nov 2020. The recovery process is ongoing at this comment date. The recovery process is slow and arduous to be perfectly honest. Doing your daily therapy is vital for return of function and range of motion. Morning stiffness and pain is the norm at this point with the right thumb (10 months post op) less painful than the left (7 months post op). The morning pain and stiffness decreases for me with stretching exercises to a degree. I am still using ice when I overdo activity that causes pain. I am retired from healthcare so I am fortunate that I can gauge my daily activities. I avoid pain meds (generally never more than 1Gm of Tylenol/day) so that I can accurately assess my healing progress. Certain motions ( ie; buttoning pants, sealing a zip lock bag, squeezing a toothpaste tube) still cause sharp pain in the left with a much duller, pressure type of pain in the right. My hope is that it (pain on the left side) will decrease or become less acute over time. I received a steroid injection in the left thumb after a visit to the surgeon about a month ago in May, (6 months post op)for the continued left thumb/wrist pain and was told a revision may be necessary on the left. The steroid injection definitely helped. I’m posting here because this is the only forum I’ve seen that discusses this particular implant in depth with real patients discussing real issues. As far as strength is concerned the limiting factor to the pinch grip strength is how much or how little pain that it causes. My right is less painful so therefore much stronger than my left at present (currently at about 90% of pre op strength). Hope this post helps someone struggling with a decision to choose a surgery option. Any commentary by those who have had this procedure that are farther along in their recovery process would be greatly appreciated. Best wishes.