Thumb Arthritis

Thumb arthritis occurs due to the trapezium bone in your wrist at the base of your thumb being affected by osteoarthritis (wear and tear). If you suffer from thumb arthritis, you’ll feel pain where your thumb joins your wrist. The pain is usually noticed when you use your thumb or wrist, pinching or twisting. Thumb arthritis is more common in women aged 50 years and above, but many men suffer from it too.

We will diagnose thumb arthritis based on our expertise and an x-ray.

Although steroid injections can be attempted to treat thumb arthritis, more revolutionary therapies like fatgrafting is our first choice in mild and moderate thumb arthritis conditions: Several studies have shown that this simple prodedure relieves pain and symptoms in 80% of patients long-term. Th mchanism is thought to be effective due to the stem cells in your fat and additional lubricating layer between the arthritic bones.

For severe forms of arthritis, or when previous therapies did not resolve the pain completely, thumb arthritis surgery such as the day case procedure called trapeziectomy will be performed under general anaesthetic. It takes approximately one hour and involves removing the trapezium bone.