For ten years, I’ve had problems with my left thumb. The doctor tells me I have basal joint arthritis. Recently, I started having numbness and tingling in that same hand. The doctor diagnosed this as carpal tunnel syndrome. I may have to have a bone removed from the base of the thumb. How will this help?

At the base of the thumb is a bone called the trapezium. This bone also forms one side of an open tunnel in the wrist called the carpal tunnel. This oval-shaped opening gives room for the median nerve and tendons to pass from the forearm to the hand.

Usually, during surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, the doctor cuts the ligament that goes across the top of the tunnel. This ligament attaches to the trapezium. Then, the bone is taken out.

Removing the trapezium changes the shape and volume of the carpal tunnel. The tunnel becomes more circular or round in shape. This change in shape may open up a narrow carpal tunnel and take pressure off the nerve. Studies with MRI to confirm this are underway.