Hand denervation provides joint pain relief for the fingers and thumb.  Patients with joint pain can utilize non-surgical pain management options including bracing, activity modification, hand therapy, and cortisone injections.  When these fail patients are traditionally offered joint replacement or fusion procedures.  Denervation is a less invasive surgical management technique that provides pain relief with quicker return to function than joint replacement.

Dr. Hustedt and colleagues conducted a side-by-side comparison study of denervation versus arthroplasty for base of thumb arthritis (carpometacarpal).  Patients were enrolled if they had failed conservative management with bracing, anti-inflammatories, and cortisone injections.   Pain reduction, functional outcomes, and quality of life were compared between patients who underwent denervation versus arthroplasty.  The study found equivalent outcomes of pain relief, functional status, and quality of life improvements between denervation and arthroplasty.  However, the denervation patients experienced relief in 3.5 weeks versus 4.5 months in the arthroplasty group.  This study was published in the Journal of Hand Surgery in April 2023.  

Similar studies have been conducted in the fingers (PIP and MCP joints).  Joint denervation offers a novel, minimally invasive approach to pain management with quicker recovery.  The long term benefits of denervation are currently being explored in large population level studies.  

Links to clinical studies are provided.  A surgical technique video on CMC, PIP, and MCP denervation is provided for healthcare professionals.