ZEPART, a new surgical implant developed by Sandia Medical Technologies, allows clinicians to offer patients a uniquely viable option for treating severe thumb CMC osteoarthritis.

In a joint replacement using the ZEPART implant, the orthopedic surgeon eliminates contact between arthritic bones by excising and replacing the trapezium bone. With the trapezium removed, the next goal of the ZEPART implant design is to bridge the gap between current standard treatments in the United States of trapeziectomy and arthrodesis.

Trapeziectomy procedures remove the trapezium but create unstable joints with wide ranges of motion and significantly reduced grip strength. Arthrodesis provides high stability and strength, but with a challenging recovery that risks nonunion and ultimately results in extremely limited dexterity.

Best of Both

Most surgeons turn towards trapeziectomy for standard cases, and use arthrodesis in specific indications such as with young or active patients. The ZEPART implant provides the opportunity for patients to receive the best of both outcomes, without compromise.

ZEPART provides the benefits of an arthrodesis in an implant, which leads to a simpler surgical procedure and an easier recovery. As an innovative design feature, the ZEPART trapezial component and stem are engineered to provide natural motion in the thumb, returning patients to baseline conditions.

Win-Win

For patients, the ZEPART implant resolves CMC arthritic pain and provides strength, stability and natural motion, without compromise, in a single-piece implant that is simple to install and quick to recover from.

For surgeons, the ZEPART implant provides all of these features in a simple, reliable design that eliminates points of potential variation between cases, creating the opportunity for consistently providing the same outcomes to patients. These attributes come from a design that mimics the natural anatomy of the carpal bones in the hand and does not use a ball-and-socket or other unnatural mechanical features, making ZEPART a more viable solution than current commercially available implants.