Doctors have sometimes shied away from operating on the joints of older, arthritic hands. They've thought that surgery could make arthritis worse.

A recent study tested this idea on a group of patients ages 41 to 73 (average = 54). These patients had surgery to permanently join the bones at the base of the thumb. About seven years later, 27 of the patients had X-rays. Seven cases showed further signs of arthritis. However, the patients didn't have any symptoms. On a scale of one to 10, with one being no pain at all, these patients said their pain was a 1.4. (This score was even a little lower than the norm than for those who had never had surgery.)

Researchers felt the surgery was safe for older, arthritic hands. In nearly all of the cases, the surgery seemed to provide lasting pain relief without any major complications.