posted 9/3/07 in Rheumatoid Disease
When Rheumatoid Disease affects the wrist, it may only result in damage to the radiocarpal joint--allowing motion at the midcarpal joint after a partial fusion only. This is a motion-preserving alternative to complete wrist fusion and wrist replacement. Even though both of these options result in improved fuction, complete fusion...
posted 9/3/07 in Rheumatoid Disease
Complete wrist fusion has, for years, been a successful option for severe wrist arthritis secondary to Rheumatoid diease or post-traumatic arthritis. Because most patients desire some motion at the wrist, options like partial fusion and wrist replacement are understandably more attractive (please refer to separate articles regarding these options, on...
posted 5/2/07 in Rheumatoid Disease
Wrist fusion has, for years, been the gold standard for treatment of the painful Rheumatoid wrist. This has not changed over the past several decades because technology has not met the biomechanical demands of the wrist. Fusion, by contrast, has provided a painfree, albeit stiff wrist. Over the past 5 years,...
posted 5/2/07 in Rheumatoid Disease
Replacement of the hand MP joints provides excellent pain-relief and functional range of motion. Early on, as stability of the joints is compromised by synovitis, the combination of spinting and exercises may slow progression of the disease. In the final analysis, however, MP joint disease can tremendously impair hand funcion.Besides...
posted 4/24/07 in Rheumatoid Disease
Rheumatoid disease and Erosive Osteoarthritis can result in painful loss of PIP joint motion. Although the index finger experiences high loads during pinch, which contraindicate joint replacement in this specific digit(fusion being much more adviseable), the long, ring, and small finger PIP joints do very well with arthroplasty. Newer implant...
