Joint stiffening (Arthrodesis)

Operational joint stiffening is performed to alleviate pain in the case of joint instability or severe osteoarthritis, if for some reason the joint isn’t to be, or cannot be treated by a joint prosthesis. The technical term for this procedure is called arthrodesis.

We carry our stiffening operations to the shoulder, finger, ankle and toe joints very rarely because as a rule, we want to keep the joint movable. With these operations, we connect the joint parts using screws and metal plates so that they grow together, and no further movement is possible in each joint. This suppresses the movement and stress-related pain.
However having said this, we do fall back on arthrodesis, but only as a last resort. Before carrying out the operation very detailed consultation is necessary. The operation does not only make the movement of the joint impossible, but the stiffening can also not be reversed.