FESSH Academy Webinars

FESSH Academy Webinar series – Journal Club

When: 8 January 2026 19:30-21:00 CET 

Topic: Joint arthroplasty

Presenters and panellists: Miriam Marks (Switzerland), Daniel Herren (Switzerland), Elske Bonhof-Jansen (The Netherlands), Tjeerd de Jong (The Netherlands), Paul Werker (The Netherlands),  Teemu Karjalainen (Finland)

Webinar chair: Jonathan Hobby (UK)

Journal Editor: Jane McEachan (UK)

Papers introduced and discussed:

1) Herren DB, Mathis K, Schindele S, Marks M.:

Learning curve for trapeziometacarpal joint implant arthroplasty: case volume needed to achieve proficiency.
J Hand Surg Eur Vol. Published online June 9, 2025. doi:10.1177/17531934251346310
Presenter: Miriam Marks

2) Bonhof-Jansen EEDJ, de Jong TR, Brink SM, de Wildt RP, Werker PMN.

Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy for trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis: 5-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.
J Hand Surg Eur Vol. Published online July 14, 2025. doi:10.1177/17531934251357456
Presenters: Elske Bonhof-Jansen and Tjeerd de Jong

3) Liukkonen R, Karjalainen VL, Kvist R, Vaajala M, Ponkilainen V, Karjalainen T. Total joint arthroplasty for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Acta Orthop. 2024;95:325-332.
Presenter: Teemu Karjalainen

The webinar is free, but registration is needed. Please register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FWrjleBIRlWL3jCP5YDm9A

More details:

Bonhof-Jansen EEDJ, de Jong TR, Brink SM, de Wildt RP, Werker PMN. Total joint arthroplasty versus trapeziectomy for trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis: 5-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.
J Hand Surg Eur Vol. Published online July 14, 2025. doi:10.1177/17531934251357456
Five years on, does the early promise of thumb CMC arthroplasty hold up? This randomised trial shows similar patient-reported outcomes between total joint arthroplasty and trapeziectomy at 5 years. Arthroplasty patients had stronger key pinch, greater satisfaction, and were more likely to choose the same operation again, raising questions about what outcomes matter most to patients.

Herren DB, Mathis K, Schindele S, Marks M. Learning curve for trapeziometacarpal joint implant arthroplasty: case volume needed to achieve proficiency.
J Hand Surg Eur Vol. Published online June 9, 2025. doi:10.1177/17531934251346310

How many cases does it really take to become safe and reliable with implant arthroplasty? This learning curve study suggests around 33–40 cases are needed to reach proficiency. Importantly, early cases were not associated with worse outcomes or higher revision rates, supporting supervised training and concentration of this surgery in higher-volume centres.

Liukkonen R, Karjalainen VL, Kvist R, Vaajala M, Ponkilainen V, Karjalainen T. Total joint arthroplasty for thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Acta Orthop. 2024;95:325-332. 

Is implant arthroplasty really better than trapeziectomy? This meta-analysis compares early and long-term outcomes after total joint arthroplasty and trapeziectomy for thumb CMC arthritis. Arthroplasty shows faster early functional recovery, but long-term pain and function are similar. Revision risk and durability remain key uncertainties for everyday practice.