Joint replacement surgery in the wrist is less common than other replacement, but can be an option if you have painful arthritis that does not respond to other treatments.
In wrist joint replacement surgery, the damaged parts of the wrist bones are removed and replaced with artificial components, called a wrist prosthesis. If the cartilage is worn away or damaged by injury, infection, or disease, the bones themselves will rub against each other, wearing out the ends of the bones. This causes a painful, arthritic condition. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, results from a gradual wearing away of the cartilage covering on bones. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints that results in pain, stiffness and swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects several joints on both the right and left sides of the body. Both forms of arthritis may affect the strength of the fingers and hand, making it difficult to grip or pinch.