Thirty-three hands were followed for an average of 7.8 years after
arthroplasty of the basal joint of the thumb using a silicone prosthesis.
The minimum length of follow-up was 5.6 years. All of the patients had
relief of pain, but three complained of weakness. Radiographs of twenty
hands showed that four prostheses had subluxated, three had dislocated, and
thirteen had evidence of wear. Ten hands had destructive changes in the
adjacent bones. We now recommend the use of a silicone prosthesis for
arthroplasty of the basal joint only in elderly patients or in patients who
have a low level of functional activity. In younger or more active
patients, interpositional arthroplasty using tendon is recommended.