Joint Surgery Options for Finger Joints Arthritis

There are many conservative, non-surgical treatments for arthritic finger joints including oral medications, natural joint supplements, joint injections, heat treatment, and/or physical therapy.

But when non-surgical treatments do not provide sufficient relief of your finger pain and mobility loss, you may need to consider surgical treatments. The good news is that new technologies offer several excellent surgical options for finger joint arthritis.

Surgical Cleaning of the Finger Joint

Surgical cleaning – also called “salvage” – of the finger joint is often recommended by hand doctors in cases of “wear and tear” arthritis where there are painful bone spurs that are caught early.

Surgical cleaning can also be effective in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, where there is are larger amounts of inflamed tissue in and around the finger joint.

Surgical salvage and removal of bone spurs is especially effective in cases of arthritis involving the joints at the ends of the fingers.

Joint Fusion Surgery for Fingers with Arthritis

This more extreme surgical option of fusing the finger joint is generally reserved for patients with quite advanced arthritis.

Joint fusion consist of removing the joint and then surgically fusing the ends of the two bone ends, so that the two bones become a single, solid bone.

By eliminating all motion at the joint, the fusion also eliminates the pain. However, the downside is obviously the elimination of any further motion of the fused joint.

For this reason, younger, active or employed patients may not be ideal candidates for joint fusion. However, in older patients where pain relief is more important than finger mobility, joint fusion can give a good surgical outcome.

Joint Replacement Surgery for Fingers with Arthritis

Joint replacement surgery of the fingers is another excellent option for treating arthritis pain and mobility loss. In addition to providing pain relief, joint replacement surgery can increase finger range of motion, as well as improve hand function.

Joint replacement surgery of the fingers is ideal for patients who are older with less activity patients and for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

In some case joint replacement may not be recommended for certain younger, highly active, physically employed, or athletic patients. In these individuals, increased stress and demand on the artificial joint can wear it prematurely.

Top Arthritis Joint Surgery Bloomfield Hills

If you are suffering from an injury or pain in your joints, fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified Bloomfield Hills hand surgeon Doctor Rehman for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. As with most medical conditions, early detection, awareness, and a prevention or treatment plan is the most effective way to combat the effects of arthritis and other joint problems.

Doctor Rehman will assess your individual situation, and prescribe the treatments that are best for your condition.

Arthritis Joint Surgery Bloomfield Hills: 248.335.2638