After identifying my finger pain as coming from severe arthritis, my doctor is now recommending I have surgery to fuse the two bones in my finger together. What does the doctor hope to achieve with kind of surgery?

Arthritic finger joints cause pain and make it difficult to perform normal movements, such as grasping and pinching. Advanced arthritis can also loosen the joint and may begin to cause joint deformity. Joint fusion is a procedure that binds the two joint surfaces of the finger together, keeping them from rubbing on one another. Fusing the joint together eases pain, makes the joint stable, and prevents additional joint deformity.