[New methods of joint replacement in the hand yield better function and pain relief]

Arthroplasty of the hand has hitherto been performed with rather simple methods such as the interposition of soft tissue or silicone implants. Surface replacement techniques, both cemented and cementless, currently routine methods in orthopaedic surgery, are becoming more and more commonly used in hand surgery. The article consists in a review of old and new methods for the replacement of wrist and finger joints, and a report of the results of osseo-integrated titanium implants in metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, and of short-term outcome of non-constrained implants in wrist and PIP joints.