PROVIDENCE – A University Orthopedics Inc. surgeon has become the first in Rhode Island to perform a thumb joint replacement using TOUCH CMC 1, a prothesis recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Dr. Joseph A. Gil performed the replacement in August at Rhode Island Hospital. Known as a carpometacarpal total joint arthroplasty, the procedure replaces the arthritic joint at the base of the thumb with a ball-and-socket implant, according to an Aug. 11 announcement from University Orthopedics, a Providence-based practice affiliate of Brown University Health, and Keri Medical, the Geneva-based developer of TOUCH CMC 1.
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The carpometacarpal joint is one of the joints most affected by osteoarthritis, as cartilage wears down, and patients experience pain, weakness and loss of grip.
“Thumb arthritis can make even the simplest daily activities like buttoning a shirt, turning a key, or gripping a coffee cup extremely painful,” Gil said in the announcement. “With the goal of restoring function and reducing pain, this implant provides another treatment option for people living with thumb arthritis who want to get back to the activities they enjoy.”
The TOUCH CMC 1 prosthesis is used as a replacement for typical carpometacarpal joint surgeries, which remove the arthritic trapezium bone – located in the wrist and used to stabilize the thumb joint – and reconstruct the joint with tendon tissue, according to the announcement.
The prosthetic received premarket FDA approval on July 10, 2025. The implant had previously been solely available in Europe.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a PBN staff writer. She can be reached at kannermascolo@pbn.com.
