That doesn't begin to compare with the 90 per cent rating for arthrodesis and up to 98 per cent rating for hip or knee replacements.įor those patients willing to try this approach, the implant can always be removed and the toe fused if it doesn't work out. But the overall satisfaction rate is only around 77 per cent after five years. Results of the current total toe arthroplasty (another term for big toe joint replacement) in use compared with arthrodesis don't favor the arthroplasty just yet as a long-term solution for joint degeneration of the big toe. Bone spurs form around the area as the body's response to the changes in toe and foot biomechanics. The implants themselves start to break down and the bone underneath the implant softens and flakes away. Even with reduced weight-bearing on the silicone implants, they don't hold up. Silicone joint replacements have been tried but studies show that patients don't put weight on the toe. Loss of motion at this joint can limit activities such as rising up on toes or running.
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Fusion does limit motion at that joint, which in turn, causes changes in the way a person walks. With an arthrodesis procedure, wires, pins, and plates are used to fix or hold the joint in a locked or fused position. Patients suffering pain and joint destruction from trauma, gout, arthritis, and other conditions (e.g., deformities, bunions) have had success with arthrodesis. Until recently, arthrodesis (fusion) of the joint has been the favored treatment. For example, two tiny bones called sesamoids just under the joint support and cushion the toe in a way that an implant hasn't been able to reproduce. The natural anatomy of the big toe is complex enough to make duplication with an implanted joint difficult at best. Surgeons continued to modify implant designs to get a functional unit.īut as you can imagine, with the weight of the body behind every footstep, an artificial joint at the base of the big toe doesn't hold up very long. Actually, the first MTP joint implant was tried back in 1952. Now on the cutting edge are toe replacements - specifically the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTP) or base of the big toe.Ĭompanies that make joint implants are working with surgeons to find the right materials and design for the first ever successful metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint replacement. Ankle, elbow, and finger joint replacements are available but are less common. Joint replacements are widely used for the hip, knee, and shoulder.