Background

Silicone arthroplasty, as introduced by Swanson in 1962 has remained the most popular procedure to treat arthritis of the metacarpo-phalangeal (MCP) joints. However, despite providing good pain relief, they have shown to demonstrate breakage rates up to 82% at 5 years. This is of great concern in the osteoarthritis (OA) patient group, who tend to be younger and have higher functional demands compared to their rheumatoid counterparts. The newer unconstrained pyrolytic carbon MCP joint prostheses may therefore be more suitable in OA patients whose soft tissue constraints are intact and whose hand function is strong. This study is the first to analyse the results of this implant in a cohort of OA patients only, with prospective data.