The only FDA-approved implant for total thumb joint replacement offers patients improved mobility, strength and lasting pain relief.
February 26, 2026 – In a significant breakthrough for hand surgery and joint replacement, Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) have become the first in Florida to perform surgery using the TOUCH CMC prosthesis, an innovative artificial joint designed to treat thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis. This debilitating condition affects millions of Americans and can severely impair hand function and quality of life.
The TOUCH CMC prosthesis is the first implant of its kind to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in the United States for total joint replacement of the first CMC joint. The prosthesis provides a groundbreaking option for patients with moderate to severe thumb arthritis seeking improved mobility, strength and pain relief after nonsurgical treatments have failed.
“This procedure, performed by Dr. Devin Collins and Dr. Alfred Hess of Florida Orthopaedic Institute, represents a major step forward in restoring hand function and improving quality of life for patients,” said Dr. Roy Sanders, Chief, TGH Orthopaedic Institute and Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor & Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, President & Chief Medical Officer Florida Orthopaedic Institute. “Introducing this next-generation surgical implant as the first in the state underscores our unwavering commitment to clinical excellence and our mission to deliver the best of modern medicine — driven by evidence, powered by innovation and centered on the patient.”
Currently in limited market release, the TOUCH CMC prosthesis has been used in 20 facilities across the country. Florida Orthopaedic Institute was chosen as a key launch site because of its national reputation for clinical leadership and its longstanding fellowship program.
“This is a defining moment in patient care,” added Dr. Alfred Hess, Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. “By introducing this first-in-the-state implant, we are fundamentally raising the standard of care and delivering better outcomes and an improved quality of life for our patients.”
Unlike traditional procedures that remove bone and rely on scar tissue for cushioning, the CMC prosthesis replaces the damaged joint with a dual-mobility ball-and-socket implant with an advanced design that preserves thumb length, improves joint stability and restores natural strength and movement.
“This implant has the potential to redefine the standard of care for thumb CMC osteoarthritis by delivering unmatched mobility while restoring joint function and stability,” said Dr. Devin Collins, Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. “We are proud to help advance evidence-based innovation that not only improves outcomes but also contributes to the evolution of musculoskeletal care.”
“This milestone reflects our mission as an academic medical center to lead in innovation and improve care across the region,” said Tom Cairo, vice president of TGH Neuroscience and Orthopaedic Institutes. “By partnering with forward-thinking physicians and embracing new technologies, we’re able to provide our patients with access to the most advanced treatments available.”
For more information about orthopaedic services at Tampa General Hospital, visit www.tgh.org.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, the Tampa Bay region’s only academic health system, is a 1,530-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning across Florida. As the only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care center serving 23 counties, Tampa General delivers world-class care. The system’s hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, the academic health system has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. Tampa General’s commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2026 America’s Best Large Employers ranked as the Tampa Bay region’s #1 employer in the health care category for the sixth year in a row, and among the top five in the state of Florida, in the 2025 Best Employers by State and the 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women.
Tampa General is the area’s safety-net hospital, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2024, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $289.1 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is recognized as one of the adult solid organ transplant centers in the nation and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children’s Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General’s footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 20 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
