[Arthroplasty at the proximal interphalengeal joint].

Background: For the treatment of deformed finger middle joints that occur as a result of osteoarthritis or inflammatory and post-traumatic destruction, artificial joint replacement is an option to arthrodesis. Hereby mobility can be obtained, which is why this method generally has a higher acceptance.

Discussion: What clinical and subjective results can be expected after artificial finger middle joint replacement and what is the expected complication rate for the different types of joints?

Material And Methods: We present our experiences with artificial joint replacement with various implants over the past decades as well as promising new developments of the last 10 years.

Results: The silicone implant still remains the gold standard in joint replacement. For these implants, good long-term results and low revision rates have been documented. Due to the soft flexible material, however, lateral stability and preoperatively-existing axis deviations seem problematic. Initial studies with modular resurfacing implants appear promising and may eventually replace the silicone spacer over the long term. Consequently, long-term results of these modern implants are pending.

Conclusions: Painful osteoarthritis of the finger joint can be treated well with motion-preserving artificial joints. The complication rate appears to be decreasing. New generation modular surface prostheses seem to be relatively equal to the silicone spacer in terms of long-term outcomes.