Extra-articular arthrodesis of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.

There are numerous surgical treatment options for instability and painful trapeziometacarpal arthrosis. The available surgical treatments are arthrodesis and trapeziectomy alone or with synthetic/biologic interpositions, osteotomy, and total joint replacement. However, there is no clear consensus regarding the appropriate surgical procedure, and a unique situation exists in which the surgeon can develop a successful hybrid technique based on his own philosophy and experience. Traditionally, ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition have been used for elderly patients with lower demands whereas arthrodesis has been reserved for the treatment of posttraumatic arthritis in high-demand, younger patients. Regarding the second case, when thumb carpometacarpal arthrodesis is indicated, the procedure provides a reliable and lasting treatment with satisfactory results. However, it is important to know the indications and contraindications, as well as benefits and risks of this procedure. Therefore, the surgical technique is straightforward, and fusion may be performed with either a plate-and-screw construct, power staples, tension band wiring with or without Kirschner wires, or alone with multiple Kirschner wires. However, in all the techniques, it is necessary to remove the articular surfaces of the metacarpal and trapezium apart from the need of autogenous bone graft to fill the defect between those bones from either the distal radius or iliac crest. In addition, later in almost all the cases, it is necessary to remove the metal work because of protrusion or skin intolerance. The technique described in this article is a modification of a sliding inlay metacarpal bone graft technique originally described by Müller in 1949 and, 52 years after, perfected by Doyle. However, and as opposed to these, with the extra-articular arthrodesis technique, it is not necessary to remove the articular surfaces, and the graft fixation is performed by 2 Herbert screws which, when buried into the bone, avoid the need to remove the metal work because of the protrusion under the skin. Therefore, this intervention easily permits to convert the arthrodesis to another method of treatment (implant arthroplasty or tendon interposition arthroplasty) by means of the resection of the bone bridge between the metacarpal and trapezium and proceed to the chosen surgical intervention.