MedStar Surgeons Introduce Thumb Joint Implants to DC and Baltimore

Often described as a mini hip replacement for the thumb, the device replaces damaged joint surfaces with a ball-and-socket implant rather than removing bone. This shift marks a departure from the traditional surgical standard, which frequently required the removal of the trapezium wrist bone and tendon reconstruction. That legacy procedure often resulted in lengthy recovery times, chronic pain, and a measurable reduction in pinch strength.

In April, Dr. Michael Kessler, chief of Hand & Elbow Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, performed the first of these procedures in Washington, D.C. By June, Dr. Aviram M. Giladi of the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore followed suit. The surgery is completed in under an hour, allowing patients to return home the same day. While the TOUCH prosthesis has been utilized in Europe since 2018, it only secured FDA premarket approval in 2025. According to Dr. Giladi, the implant serves as a viable path for patients who have exhausted conservative treatments but retain sufficient bone quality to support the prosthetic.