No doubt you've heard how a knee of hip replacement can relieve arthritis pain. But what about knuckle pain? Patients can do the same thing - take matters into their own hands and get new knuckles.
Davis Elliott spent a lifetime crabbing on the Chesapeake. And over the years he's worked his fingers to the bone - literally, "These two knuckles here would swell up and get just as stiff and well, it was a throbbing pain all the time."
Not wanting arthritis to leave him aground, he had an idea, "My wife had her knees replaced and I got her to ask her doctor if they replace knuckles and they said yes."
And here they are - different sizes for different finger joints. "So we wanted something that was, going to be pretty sturdy for him, so that's why we went with the silicone replacements for him," says Dr. Kenneth Means, Jr.
Flexible silicone implants work like spacers to keep the bones from rubbing together. Metal implants have a ball and socket and work like a hinge. "If there is not a lot of deformity, we might think about the metal replacement. Whereas if there is some significant deformity, without a lot of ligament support, then we're probably gonna' go with the silicone replacement," says Dr. Means.
In surgery, doctors expose and remove the damaged joint, clean out the arthritis, then implant the new knuckle. "It's a very reliable procedure taking the pain away," according to Dr. Means.
What's more, he says a new study shows the implants help maintain function, "Our goal is to keep them doing the things they want to do and they need to do."
After physical therapy to gain strength and improve motion, Davis is back on the bay, "I don't have any problem pulling anything in. I don't have any problem with the pain."
The finger replacements last about 10 years. An orthopedic doctor who specializes in hand surgery can match up the best implant to the patient. Implants are used only after conservative methods have been exhausted.
