Hi
I have osteoarthritis of the large toe joint & I had debridement surgery a few years. I’ve had steroid injections the lot & last year in May, I had the Cartiva joint replacement. I’m in so much pain still & told the surgery didn’t create a gap between the two bones. I suffer with nerve damage pain & severe pain underneath the joint. I’m awaiting results of another MRI scan. The consultant thinks it’s Sesamoiditis.
Has anyone else had the Cartiva or similar issues??
I had a Cartiva implant 2 years ago. It never really made much difference. I’ve had pain underneath the joint ever since. The consultant pretty much gave up when I saw him later, he said “time is a great healer” or some such platitude. I’ve had it x-rayed recently and there is still extensive OA in the joint. The only thing that has helped has been Etoricoxib tablets, which I am really taking for my hip OA. I’d recommend those over the Cartiva implant to anyone.
Hi, thanks for replying. That’s exactly where all my pain is, underneath the joint. I wish I had never had the Cartiva. I was told I’d be back to running & all the reviews online seemed to say others were doing remarkably well after just 8 weeks!
My consultant has said the only option now is to fix the joint! That’s why I opted for the Cartiva as I didn’t want it to be fixed in place. I’m in more pain now than what I experienced from just my OA & it’s different pain. My toe now clicks every time I move it, but that is never in the letter to my GP. It’s always worded very positively which annoys me because it is much more worse now. I had to give up my job too as I couldn’t do the physical side of it anymore.
It’s nice to hear from another Cartiva patient as I often wondered if it was all in my mind!
Yeah, my consultant also told me that he was having doubts about how effective these implants are - I wish he’d had doubts before doing the op on me! I was also swayed by the online reviews. In theory it sounds great but I think the surgeon needs to be absolutely precise about how the implant is fitted, and in the UK there is little experience of them.
I agree. The surgeon I was meant to have here in the UK cancelled my op after I waited 6 hours in prep for the op. He had done a few Cartiva ops apparently successfully. The next day I was told another surgeon could do my op who had done Cartiva ops but only as assisting my surgeon. It was so the op or wait another 6 - 12 months & I had already booked time off work, so I agreed to have the op! Big mistake!
When I was in recovery they also said they didn’t realise how severely arthritic the joint was & I wasn’t even a candidate for the Cartiva!
So now I’m at a loss at what can be down & awaiting my MRI results.
I had joint debridement, which revealed damage was more extensive than initially thought. I was a runner, as well. I did not have the cartiva implant or fusion. I still have occasional pain and my range of motion is limited. RA/OA has simply changed my life. I’ve been on multiple meds, am getting ready to begin my 3rd biological rx. I’m finding other ways to keep active. I miss running so much, but I need to take care of my joints, listen to my body and realize that this disease has placed limitations on my body and activity that I have no control over. I don’t view it as giving in or giving up. I view it as taking care of myself for the long haul. I hope your joint pain gets better. 💕
Life style vs replacement
Back, Shoulder, Knee & Hand Joint Pain.
OA in hip and right shoulder
Once you get Osteoarthritis in Back,neck,hands. Do you go down hill fast?
PARTIAL KNEE REPLACEMENT
