Abstract
Background One of the surgical treatment options for trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint arthritis
is a prosthetic ball-and-socket replacement. One of the complications in the postoperative
setting is de Quervain tendinopathy.
Purposes Although this complication has been reported following a resection athroplasty, we
questioned whether lengthening of the thumb following the Ivory (Memometal, Stryker
Corporate, Kalamazoo, MI, USA) ball-and-socket arthroplasty could be a causal factor.
Methods In a prospective study regarding the overall outcome of the Ivory prosthesis, we
analyzed 96 cases (83 patients; 69 female, 12 male, 8 bilateral) of primary implanted
Ivory prosthesis and the incidence of de Quervain disease during the first year following
surgery. We found a particularly high incidence (17%) of de Quervain tendinopathy
the first year following this ball-and-socket arthroplasty. We measured the lengthening
of the thumb radiographically in the group presenting de Quervain and the asymptomatic
group and compared this measure between the two groups.
Results We did not find any measurable or statistically significant difference between the
groups regarding lengthening.
Discussion These findings suggest that lengthening of the thumb following ball-and-socket arthroplasty
is not a causal factor in the development of de Quervain tendinopathy within one year
after surgery.
Keywords
trapeziometacarpal - ball-and-socket prosthesis - lengthening - de Quervain
