Selective Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Denervation for Painful Arthritis: Follow-Up of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes

PURPOSE: Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis is a common problem affecting up to 85% of patients over the age of 70. The most common presenting symptom for patients with CMC arthritis is pain with joint loading. Loss of function due to subluxation or joint destruction is comparatively rare. Carpometacarpal joint denervation is a relatively novel method for managing CMC arthritis, treating the most impactful symptom: pain. METHODS: In this paper, we present a 4- to 6-year follow-up case series on patients who underwent CMC denervation between 2015 and 2017. RESULTS: Denervation was safe, with less downtime than trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition and provided durable complete or partial relief of pain after 5 years in 5 of 9 patients. Four of 9 patients had recurrence of pain by 5 years. Of those with recurrent pain, 3 of 5 eventually underwent trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition; the secondary surgery occurred between 17 and 66 months after denervation. CONCLUSION: Thumb CMC denervation provides effective relief of arthritis pain that was durable at 5+ years after surgery in more than half of our initial cohort of patients treated. Prospective studies with validated patient-reported and objective outcome measures between distinct treatment arms, such as denervation versus ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition, are needed to firmly establish the role of CMC denervation for patients with symptomatic thumb CMC osteoarthritis. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic/Level IV.