Revision procedures for complications of surgery for osteoarthritis of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.

Between the years 1980 to 1987, 17 patients had revision procedures for complications of surgery for osteoarthritis of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. 12 followed silastic implant arthroplasty, four trapeziectomy and one arthrodesis. The failed silastic arthroplasties were treated by removal of the implant, and soft tissue arthroplasty in eight, revision with another implant in three and intermetacarpal bone grafting in one. Patients with metacarpo-scaphoid arthritis after trapeziectomy were treated by silastic implant arthroplasty in three and fusion in one. Nine of the 17 revision procedures (53%) had good, three (18%) fair and five (29%) poor results respectively.