Blast arthritis... with an ‘Exocet’ thumb implant

Using the latest missile technology . . . how joint replacement can restore your mobility

ATHUMB joint made from the same material as missile nosecones is offering the hope of pain relief and restored mobility for arthritis sufferers.

The implant, which is smaller than a 5p coin, is cast from ultra-light pyrolytic carbon, also known as carbon fibre – a material five times stronger than steel.

A trial of the device involving more than 600 arthritis patients found that 98 per cent experienced an improvement in symptoms after surgery.

Many have regained the ability to perform everyday tasks such as opening jars and turning a door handle, which had previously been too painful.

Fitting the implant takes less than an hour and involves the tiny implant being slotted into the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint at the base of the thumb.

Once in place, it stops bones rubbing against each other.

The TMC joint attaches the thumb to the wrist and is the most common site for osteoarthritis of the hand.

Thumb arthritis is common with ageing, with one in four women likely to develop joint degeneration to some degree. It occurs when cartilage wears away from the ends of the bones at the joint.

It can cause severe pain, swelling, and reduced strength and range of movement. Simple manual tasks such as turning a key in a lock or flicking through a book become problematic or even impossible.

Treatment at present involves painkilling medication, splints and injections of anti-inflammatory steroid medication. In the past, replacements of whole sections of the thumb bone have been attempted but patients have experienced continuing movement problems.

The new implant is a 1mmthick disc made from a material similar to graphite. It is heated to 1,400C, a process that causes it to crystallise and form pyrolytic carbon, which has exceptional resistance to wear. As well as being employed in missiles, it is used to make the hull of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Greg Packer, of Southend Hospital NHS Trust, has implanted about 150 of the devices in NHS and private patients. He said: ‘This device is highly effective. The carbon is very hard and extremely slippery –perfect for preventing bones rubbing against each other in the joint.’

During the procedure, an incision is made at the base of the thumb. The ends of the bones at the affected joint are trimmed of any bone spurs caused by the arthritis. The implant is then slotted into place between the bones and the incision is closed. The patient goes home that day. The hand is normally fully healed after three months. Mr Packer said: ‘All the cases I have done have led to benefits for the patients with no complications.’

TWO of Mr Packer’s patients are husband and wife Sean and Yvonne Cooney, from Oxfordshire. Both had the implant fitted on the same day.

‘Whoever invented this should be given a medal,’ said Mr Cooney, 62, who is a railway car loader. ‘It’s changed our lives. I have not had to take painkillers since I had the operation, and the thumb is as good as new. Seven weeks after the surgery I was back at work – and it is a pretty heavy job loading cars on to trains.’

Mr Cooney suffered with pain in his right thumb for 20 years, and his wife, whose left thumb was affected, for three years.

‘You don’t realise how much you need a working thumb until it stops working,’ says full-time carer Mrs Cooney, 59.

‘You can’t open jars, pick things up or turn door handles. It is very disabling.’

French surgeon Dr Philippe Bellemère, invented the implant and has treated more than 650 patients.

He said: ‘We have 98 per cent patient satisfaction scores.

‘We are about to publish a five-year follow-up of the first patients to have the implant and the results are very good indeed.’