[Trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis. Overall functional hand assessment]

Trapeziometacarpal arthrosis is a degenerative condition described by Fostier in 1937. Osteoarthrosis of the trapeziometacarpal joint is a common condition among postmenopausal women; mean age of individuals affected by this disease is 64 years. The male:female ratio is 1:10; 33% of patients have a bilateral component. This study was conducted at Lomas Verdes Traumatology and Orthopedics UMAE hospital, hand surgery module, between March and December 2006. Descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study including a total of 18 patients, 12 females (66.6%) and 6 males (33.3%). Mean age is 49.3 years. Patients were clinically and radiographically diagnosed and classified by stages according to the Eaton classification. Surgery was performed more frequently in right hands, which were a total of 10 (55.6%), than left hands, which were 8 (44.4%). Surgery of the dominant hand was performed in 8 patients, 7 of them right handed, and one left handed. Arthrodesis with nails was performed in 12 patients (66.7%) and with a 2.0 condylar plate in 6 (33.3%). Mean operative time was 52.8 minutes. Eleven patients were found to have primary arthrosis, and 7 had posttraumatic arthrosis: 2 due to untreated Benett fractures, one due to a healed trapezius fracture and 4 patients had recurrent dislocation. As regards their occupation, 12 were employees, 5 were housewives and one was unemployed. The concomitant conditions found included: 9 without disease, 7 with hypertension, 7 diabetes mellitus, and one had rheumatoid arthritis. Two patients were reoperated (11.1%) due to pseudoarthrosis. In one of them a new arthrodesis was performed 18 months later, which failed and 8 months later triscaphoid arthrodesis was performed with a 10-week healing time. Trapeziometacarpal arthrodesis is a procedure involving a certain difficulty due to the anatomic conformation of the joint, which results in the various complications that have already been described. It provides pain relief; it is a good option for people who need to resume a type of work requiring the use of force; a longer follow-up is required to determine the course of these patients.