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DOI: 10.1055/a-2698-9954
Retrospective Review of Pyrocarbon Hemiarthroplasty for Carpometacarpal Arthritis: An Examination of Long-Term Outcomes and Complications
Authors
Funding Information None.

Abstract
Background
Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis is a common and sometimes debilitating condition with a variety of surgical treatments. Pyrocarbon thumb CMC hemiarthroplasty is one option, which has demonstrated promise; however, no long-term outcomes have been reported.
Materials and Methods
We performed a retrospective institutional review of 106 primary thumb CMC pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasties with a minimum of 1 year, median 6.1-year follow-up. We analyzed rates of pain relief, reoperation, and implant failure as well as biomechanical, radiographic, and patient-reported outcomes.
Results
Pain was significantly decreased after surgery. Radial and palmar abduction were modestly improved postoperatively (increased from 40–50 degrees). Implants showed high rates of radiographic osteolysis (53%) and subsidence (44%). Two-, 5-, and 10-year rates of reoperation (18, 21, 21%) and implant removal (15, 19, and 19%), respectively.
Conclusions
Pyrocarbon thumb CMC hemiarthroplasty provides high rates of pain relief and preservation of pinch and grip strength. Patients had modest improvement in radial and palmar abduction; however, hemiarthroplasty was associated with moderate rates of reoperation and implant revision.
Level of Evidence
Therapy Level IV.
Ethical Approval
All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008 (5).
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Publication History
Received: 07 June 2025
Accepted: 01 September 2025
Article published online:
29 September 2025
© 2025. Thieme. All rights reserved.
Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
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