With advanced arthritis in her wrist causing constant pain, Sallie Garcia of Clarkston had few choices.
One was cortisone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation.
The first injection provided relief for about six months, when it wore off. A second wore off in two months. A third provided no relief at all.
‘It didn’t do anything,? Garcia said. ‘It might as well have been a saline solution.?
Another choice was to surgically fuse the bones. The procedure would eliminate pain, but also wrist movement.
A third choice was wrist replacement with an implant, a newer and less common procedure that promised about half mobility.
‘Fifty percent is better than nothing,? Garcia said.
At the time, her doctor didn’t consider total replacement a good idea. Knee and hip replacements are common, but wrist replacements are not.
Garcia decided to investigate herself, researching artificial wrist replacements on the Internet.
It wasn’t easy. Google searches turned up millions of entries on slingshots, archery, clothing, and cars to wade through before she found what she needed.
She learned why doctors were hesitant about wrist replacement. The wrist is more complicated than the hip or knee, with thin carpal bones connected in an intricate system of ligaments and muscles. Earlier wrist replacements were fragile ? a metal piece connected to silicone implants could break loose.
Garcia found, however, that those replacements were designed in the 1960s. Much more successful replacements were designed in the 1990s and 2000s.
The latest version, the Re-Motion Total Wrist System, designed by Small Bones Innovations Inc., is made of cobalt chrome with titanium coating and polyethylene carpal ball.
She sought and found Dr. Michael Quinn, an orthopedic surgeon with St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital in Pontiac, who specialized in the surgery.
Wrist replacements are not suggested for those who place a lot of stress on their wrists, such as in tennis or construction, but are ideal for those with a relatively low-impact lifestyle, Quinn said.
Garcia, 64, is younger than usual for the procedure, but is otherwise fits the criteria ? her condition is caused by arthritis and her job doesn’t include heavy lifting.
Garcia’s wrist replacement was the first performed at St. Joe’s. The surgery went well, she said.
‘I was home before 5 p.m. ? I felt I could go to work the next day,? she said.
She didn’t go to work the next day, taking the time off her doctor recommended, but she did cook Thanksgiving dinner.
‘Now I can make Rice Crispy treats with my grandchildren again,? she said. ‘It doesn’t feel like there’s anything in there. I’m not aware of it in there at all.?
‘It means a lot for orthopedics in general,? said Leah Omilion, marketing and communications specialist for St. Joseph’s. ‘We’re on the cutting edge, offering higher quality life.?
For more information, call St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital at 800-372-6094.