UCHealth doctors have become the first in the western United States to perform a new type of thumb arthritis surgery, introducing a Swiss-designed prosthesis that could improve outcomes for patients with this common condition.
A team of hand surgeons from the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine trained in Europe to learn the procedure and carried out the surgery at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on February 16. The operation marks a shift from traditional approaches, which often result in significant pain and reduced thumb strength after surgery.
“Everything went very smoothly,” said Dr. Fraser Leversedge, chief of hand surgery at University of Colorado Hospital. “The patient had a significant amount of arthritis.” He explained that his team was able to remove the arthritic joint and implant the new prosthesis.
Dr. Louis Catalano, who participated in the procedure, added: “The surgery went great thanks to all of our training and all of the studying we’ve been doing.”
Thumb arthritis affects an estimated 7% of men and 15% of women, including up to one-third of postmenopausal women. Traditional surgical treatment involves removing the trapezium bone at the base of the thumb and using wrist tendons to fill the space, which can lead to prolonged pain and diminished function.
The newly introduced device is called the Touch CMC 1 Dual Mobility Trapeziometracarpal Prosthesis. Approved by European health officials since 2018, it has been implanted in more than 150,000 patients there. In July 2025, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials granted premarket approval for its use domestically; final approval will depend on further evidence from clinical trials.
Catalano described how European patients experienced less pain after surgery and required fewer pain medications compared to those undergoing standard procedures in America. Patients were able to resume normal activities much sooner as well.
“In America, that’s a two-month process,” Catalano said about recovery time for daily tasks like turning a doorknob with a surgically repaired hand.
Dr. Matthew Belton noted improved outcomes: “Even the two-week patients were outperforming some of my patients at six months.”
Unlike traditional methods requiring casts or splints for six weeks post-surgery, recipients of this prosthesis leave with only an Ace bandage around their hand.
“It should be a lot less painful. It should make you feel like you have a normal thumb,” Catalano said. “With the patients we do now, even though the surgery works great, most patients don’t feel like they have a normal thumb because it collapses a little bit without the bone in place.”
Currently, UCHealth plans to offer this procedure initially at its Aurora hospital but aims to expand availability across Colorado soon. About 50 patients are already scheduled for evaluation after exhausting nonsurgical treatments such as medication or injections.
“It’s hopefully going to be a game changer,” Catalano said.
