Ligament augmentation with replacement arthroplasty of the carpo-metacarpal joint

A method of ligament augmentation at the time of Swanson silicone replacement arthroplasty of the trapezium is presented. This has effectively solved the problem of prosthetic dislocation. One of the twenty-six patients had a prosthesis dislocate and this was felt to be due to improper positioning of the thumb post-operatively. A successful closed reduction and subsequent prosthetic stability was achieved. All twenty-six patients had stable and pain free thumbs with good range of motion.