[Arthroplasty at the proximal interphalengeal joint]

For the treatment of deformed finger middle joints that occur as a result of osteoarthritis or inflammatory and post-traumatic destruction, artificial joint replacement is an option to arthrodesis. Hereby mobility can be obtained, which is why this method generally has a higher acceptance.

What clinical and subjective results can be expected after artificial finger middle joint replacement and what is the expected complication rate for the different types of joints?

We present our experiences with artificial joint replacement with various implants over the past decades as well as promising new developments of the last 10 years.

The silicone implant still remains the gold standard in joint replacement. For these implants, good long-term results and low revision rates have been documented. Due to the soft flexible material, however, lateral stability and preoperatively-existing axis deviations seem problematic. Initial studies with modular resurfacing implants appear promising and may eventually replace the silicone spacer over the long term. Consequently, long-term results of these modern implants are pending.

Painful osteoarthritis of the finger joint can be treated well with motion-preserving artificial joints. The complication rate appears to be decreasing. New generation modular surface prostheses seem to be relatively equal to the silicone spacer in terms of long-term outcomes.