Long-term durability of tendon arthroplasty with excision of the trapezium in stage 1 osteoarthritis of the thumb CMC joint.

Basal joint arthritis of the thumb is commonly treated surgically. Although the results are good, there is still controversy regarding the treatment of young people with low radiographic stages of disease. Our purpose was to evaluate the durability of a tendon arthroplasty procedure in this population. Thirty patients aged 55 years or under, with early stage arthritis, were evaluated. Eight patients were available for long-term (average 86 months) follow-up. No deterioration in the strength and mobility of the operated thumbs in the long-term was found. There was a significant increase in tip pinch strength between short- and long-term follow-up evaluations. This study supports the durability of this surgery in younger patients, potentially reducing the need for multiple surgeries.