Surgical therapy of conservatively exhausted rhizarthrosis – total joint replacement or resection arthroplasty? A systematic review. - Summary - MDSpire

Surgical therapy of conservatively exhausted rhizarthrosis – total joint replacement or resection arthroplasty? A systematic review.

  • By

  • Julie Boever

  • Frank Unglaub

  • Christian K. Spies

  • Adrian Cavalcanti Kußmaul

  • Jan Wulf

  • Wolfgang Böcker

  • Ali Ayache

  • March 12, 2026

  • 0 min

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Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness (defined as pain relief, functional improvement, and complication rates) of total joint replacement versus resection arthroplasty in the surgical management of advanced rhizarthrosis.

Key Findings:
  • Modern thumb CMC joint prostheses provide faster postoperative pain relief and earlier functional improvement compared to trapeziectomy, with significant differences in pain scores and functional metrics.
  • Prosthetic treatment outperformed resection arthroplasty in multiple outcome measures (e.g., pain relief, range of motion) within the first 6 to 12 weeks.
  • Meta-analytic data indicated that early advantages of prosthetic treatment diminish over time, particularly in pain and functional scores.
Interpretation:

The findings suggest that while modern prosthetic options offer significant short-term benefits (e.g., reduced pain and improved function), the long-term outcomes may not be as favorable compared to traditional resection arthroplasty.

Limitations:
  • Limited number of studies included in the review, which may affect the robustness of the conclusions drawn.
  • Short follow-up periods for some studies may not capture long-term outcomes, potentially skewing the effectiveness assessment.
Conclusion:

Total joint replacement may be preferred for early postoperative outcomes in rhizarthrosis, but further long-term studies are critically needed to fully understand the comparative effectiveness over time.

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