I'm looking looking at looking at getting looking at getting this. Anyone with experience here?
Cartiva is being used to replace the big toe proximal joint...are you considering this replacement?
Cartiva is a synthetic cartilage replacement, not a joint replacment.
Yes, I am looking at having this. Trying to find someone that has had it already and their experience.
Thanks.
I am having it done at Penn in Philly this Wednesday. I will let you know how I make out!
Awesome! Best wishes to you!!
Thank you for posting!!
I have a consult in 3 weeks to discuss having this too.
Thank you! I am actually pretty excited to about this new option and getting this done an over with. Seems like a much better option then a fusion and the recovery is much better too! I will let you know how I make out. If you are near the Philadelphia area I am having it done by Dr. Wapner.
Hi Virginia,
It's been almost a month - just wondering how you're doing? How did it go?
Wishing you the best!!
Hi Krista, I am doing great. Having surgery and being off your feet is tuff regardless but It was bearable esp since I was able to keep my foot elevated and iced for almost two weeks which is important for a quick recovery. I just used crutches when I needed to get up. I was walking on my heel, within a week and full weight bearing by two weeks! I can start driving and wearing sneaks Monday which is almost a month after surgery. I do therapy on my toe every day bending it back and forth and although its a little stiff its moving well and I expect it to only get better if I keep up with the therapy. I am still convinced this is the only way to go considering the options. Feel free to check back in with me and I will keep you posted as time goes on since that will be the real test!! 
Hi! I could not believe my eyes when I read this.I had Cartiva with Dr. Wapner on March 1. I have been in bed icing and elevating for the past 5 days. I dont have any pain at this point. It just feels stiff. I have minor swelling. Do you think I need to continue icing? I tried to heel walk today and it is too difficult. Not because of pain but because the shoe he gave me feels clumsy. Is it too early? I would like to know how you are doing now. Did you get your foot in your normal size sneaker or did you have to go up a size or width? Are you back to your normal activities? I can't wait for your reply!
Hi Krista, Did you have this done yet? I had my surgery 5 days ago. Too early to tell how I will progress. I am in bed icing and elevating and using crutches. Good Luck
Hi Rosalyn, Good to hear from you. I had my surgery on Feb 1st and am doing great. Starting back at the gym tomorrow after only 1 month (bike only)! I would suggest icing and elevating (toes to nose) for a full two weeks if you can. That's a big part of recovery even if it's not swollen. It will continue to swell here and there most likely. Give it time and let it heal. I walked on my heel with only the surgical shoe for a good 3 weeks since that what Dr. Wapner said I then wore my birkenstocks around the house for about a week but I really didn't walk much in general. It seems like a long time but it will be over before you know it. I started wearing my same sized sneaks one month after the surgery. Now I am walking almost normal. A little pain here and there but not much. I am not allowed to do any jumping/aerobics for another month but overall I couldn't be happier. No comparison to the option of fusing my toe!
How was the bike? Did you have any pain with it? I am a group fitness instructor and I hope to be able to get back to teaching classes and do what I love. You are giving me hope and I started icing after reading your reply to me. Was your shoe Wapner gave you after surgery the beige one with 2 Velcro strips? It does not stay on my foot. Have a good day!
The bike was just fine. No pain! Give it time you'll get there. My shoe was the beige one with velcro. I didn't have problems with it staying on for the most part. It was akward to walk in but it stayed on. I wore a sneak on the other foot and that helped. Hang in there you'll be better before you know it!
Hi krista,
i was so happy to find this board. I saw the Cartiva implant on the news last night and started doing research right away. I have arthritis in my big toe and have very limited range of motion and constant pain. And have been wearing ugly shoes for a few years now. I didn't want to have the fusion done and what I read on other implants didn't give me a lot of hope.I live in Connecticut and am going to reach out to an orthopedic doctor right away to see about getting this done. How are you doing? And was it difficult to find a surgeon?how long were you out of work?
I look forward to you reply thank you again for starting this board.
Hi Tracey!
I had this done in Philadelphia March 1. It is not as easy of a recovery that I thought. I am in a post operative shoe still. I have throbbing constantly. I am almost 3 weeks. I was in bed for a good 13 days ice and elevation before I came downstairs for dinner. Now I get around the house fine in the shoe but I lay down with my foot up every hour. I am not driving yet. I have no swelling and very little bruising but still throbbing pain. I lived in constant pain from arthritis and it was so bad all the time that I did not want to go to social events just thinking about the pain. Like you, I was limited in my footwear. So this is way better than fusion but not the easy recovery I thought. I would tell you to do it before you are not a candidate anymore. Let me know how you make out!
Rosalyn
Hi Virginia. I just had my cartiva implant surgery on Tuesday in Kansas City (we live in St Louis) and i'm curious how you're doing now? I'm already weight bearing on my heel in the boot when walking, starting Pt in a few days. Elevate when i'm not needing to be up, but it's going well WITH PAIN MEDS! it definitely hurts but i'm hopeful this is the beginning of the end of my toe pain!
Hi Rosalyn. I just had my cartiva implant surgery on Tuesday in Kansas City (we live in St Louis) and i'm curious how you're doing now? I'm already weight bearing on my heel in the boot when walking, starting Pt in a few days. Elevate when i'm not needing to be up, but it's going well WITH PAIN MEDS! it definitely hurts but i'm hopeful this is the beginning of the end of my toe pain!
Wow...Rosalyn....hope you are doing better than this post now...i know i replied to you on another one also, but my doctor wanted me up and weight bearing asap, as soon as the nerve block wore off. so that's what i've been doing. And he didn't say to put ice on it, just elevate toes above nose for several days.
Hi Tracey,
I had my surgery 10 days ago. I had a failed Cheilectomy dec-2015, so for this surgery I spent a lot of time researching to find what I believed to be the right doctor. I've seen over 10 Ortho Surgeons for this and the one I went to looked not only at my MTP arthritis but my whole foot mechanics. His opinion was that I needed to have my metatarsal on the big toe joint shorted as well in order to have a very sucessful Cartiva. He also had to fix what was done wrong in the first surgery, so......kind of a mess. He has done over 50 cartiva surgeries and is a foot&ankle specialist. I did a year of research before deciding. So my recovery will be based on the mid-foot fusion more than the cartiva, which is much longer.
I am hopeful that the Cartiva is right for me. I have the recent publish results of the Cartiva study done in the US.
My only other option was an MTP fusion and I'm too active to want to go that route at this time. The mid-foot fusion is on the next joint up which doesn't move that much anyway. When moving/walking, most of the pressure and flexsion is in the MTP joint.
After the first surgery I had more pain and very little ROM.
The doctor said that it went well, and is optimistic about the outcome. I get the stiches out in about a week when I'll start wearing the boot for 10-12 weeks.
Sorry I won't be much help regarding the Cartiva specifically right now, but hopefully can provide more info in a few months when I can begin to use it.
Only thing I can stress, is do your research! Find the right solution for you then find a skilled surgeon with lots of experience doing it.
Thank you Rosalyn and Tracey, I had Cordiva big toe joint replacement surgery five days ago and thought my recovery misery was unique. Crutches did not work welfor me, but a cane has been much more useful, but slow. The toe throbs constantly. Keeping it elevated on a pad coverd with pillows helps.
Do Others know how long one can expect total recovery to take??
Doug