In this retrospective study, we report a series of 80 Arpe prostheses for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis in 63 patients. Twenty-seven prostheses (20 patients) were lost to follow-up. Twenty-one were revised, eight of them during the first year after operation. The calculated cumulated implant survival rate was 85% at 10 years but could be lower due to the lack of information on the patients lost to follow-up. The number of complications due to technical errors was high; but after we had done 30 cases, the number of early revisions decreased markedly. At follow-up, 23 of 32 thumbs were totally free of pain, and the patients were satisfied with 31 thumbs. We conclude that the implant survival declines progressively in the long run, with a survival rate of 80% after 15 years of follow-up and a further decline thereafter. We also found that this surgery was difficult to master. We advise selecting this implant for thumb trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis with caution. Level of evidence: IV
This distal radio-ulnar arthroplasty is less invasive and preserves the bone and ligaments. Clinical results are rapid, remain stable over time and are well tolerated. This arthroplasty, which was initially developed for osteoarthritis and traumatic lesions of the DRUJ, is promising for specific cases of rheumatoid arthritis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.