Rush Orthopaedics has logged what is being billed as the first thumb joint replacement surgery in the United States, a milestone for patients whose livelihoods depend on grip and fine motor skills. The mid-September 2025 operation replaced the worn carpometacarpal (CMC), or basal thumb joint, with a small ball-and-socket implant that aims to restore pinch and grip while preserving the patient’s own bone and tendons. The approach, long familiar to surgeons in Europe, is now starting to arrive in U.S. hospitals with a new class of thumb prostheses and promises a faster recovery than some traditional procedures.
Rush patient and surgeon details
The surgery was performed by Jonathan Tueting, MD, a shoulder, elbow and hand specialist with Rush Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. He has described the implant as “like a tiny total hip replacement for the thumb.” The case involved patient Trisha Warren, a professional cake decorator who underwent the procedure in September. She reported that she “felt better within a couple of days” and is already planning to have the same operation on her other hand, according to Rush University Medical Center.
Device, approval and how it works
The implant used at Rush was the TOUCH CMC 1 prosthesis from KeriMedical, a modular, dual-mobility ball-and-shell device designed to replace the basal thumb joint while preserving the trapezium bone. KeriMedical reports that the TOUCH device received FDA Premarket Approval on July 11, 2025, and that the first U.S. TOUCH implantation took place at Rush in mid-September 2025. The company describes the implant as a three-part metal-and-plastic system consisting of a cup, neck and stem intended to restore rotation and stability at the base of the thumb, according to KeriMedical.
Other centers are rolling out the operation
Once the FDA signed off, other health systems did not wait long to get in on the action. Tampa General Hospital and the Florida Orthopaedic Institute announced Florida’s first TOUCH CMC case in February 2026, and Northern Arizona Healthcare reported its first TOUCH implant on March 31, 2026. Regional hospital statements and trade coverage point to an early but steady rollout as surgeons complete training on the technique and begin offering it beyond major academic centers. The trend suggests that access to the device is starting to spread across different U.S. regions.
What it means for Chicago patients
Crain's Chicago Business highlighted Rush’s landmark case on April 29, 2026, noting how the procedure could reshape treatment for advanced thumb arthritis and help relieve chronic pain for people who rely on precise hand movements for work and daily life. Rush is now offering the implant as an option through its orthopedics clinics in the region. Surgeons, however, stress that not every patient or every stage of arthritis is a match for the device. Local uptake will depend on careful patient selection, surgeon training, insurance coverage and ongoing tracking of how well patients do over time.
Surgeons' caution and next steps
Surgeons say the TOUCH device may offer better restoration of pinch strength and a quicker return to activity for well-selected patients, but they also emphasize that U.S. experience remains in its early days. Long-term durability will be closely watched. Industry reporting notes that the implant already has a track record in Europe over roughly the last decade, yet wider adoption in the United States will require registry data and extended follow-up. Early adopters and trade outlets are urging careful outcome monitoring and clear guidance on insurance coverage as the operation spreads, as reported by Orthopedics This Week and Becker's.
