Bilateral Basal Joint Arthritis In A Young Woman

BK is the wife of a prominent family practitioner in South Florida. She had been complaining of years of persistent aching in the base of both her thumbs but initially was not given a clear diagnosis. Despite being married to a physician, she could not get relief as cortisone injections were temporary and she was too young for an open reconstruction of the critical basal joint, which is the base of the thumb and the key to pinch activities such as writing. She was referred to Dr. Badia by a hand therapist to consider a relatively new concept of arthroscopic treatment for basal joint arthritis. The procedure was so successful on her right thumb that the left was recently done. Incidentally, during the interim period, she also underwent an arthroscopic debridement of her index finger metacarpophalangeal joint(knuckle) with great pain relief. These joint problems are often due to ligamentous laxity commonly seen in young women and arthroscopy has proven beneficial as a minimally invasive solution to this dilemma as BK can attest to.