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. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):833-838.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.12770.

Substantial Increase in the Incidence of Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Base of the Thumb Between 1997 and 2019 in Finland

Meri Myohanen  1 , Eero Waris  1 , Panu H Nordback  1 , Simo Mattila  1 , Samuli Aspinen  2
Affiliations

Substantial Increase in the Incidence of Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Base of the Thumb Between 1997 and 2019 in Finland

Meri Myohanen et al. In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Background/aim: Osteoarthritis (OA) at the trapeziometacarpal joint (TMC) is common. However, no published data on the TMC-OA surgery incidence exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and trends of TMC-OA surgical treatment.

Patients and methods: A nationwide hospital discharge register-based study was conducted among patients surgically treated for TMC-OA in Finland between 1997 and 2019.

Results: A total of 8,728 surgeries were performed. The annual surgery incidence increased 10-fold from 1997 to 2019. The incidence was higher in women and increased the most in the age groups of 50-59 and 60-69 years. TMC resection arthroplasty with or without ligament reconstruction and/or tendon interposition accounted for 91% of all surgeries.

Conclusion: The increase in the surgical procedure rates is substantial. It is not explained by advancements in surgical treatment or by the ageing population. The indications for surgery appear to have become broader.

Keywords: Arthrodesis; arthroplasty; epidemiology; osteoarthritis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Authors declare that they have no competing interests in relation to this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The yearly incidence of primary surgical trapeziometacarpal (TMC) osteoarthritis procedures in relation to the Finnish adult population per 100000 persons. NDB58: TMC joint replacement; NDG60: TMC arthroplasty; NDG70: TMC arthrodesis; and NDK00: carpal bone incision or excision. Only the first procedure for TMC-OA of each patient is included as primary surgical treatment.
Figure 2
Figure 2. The yearly incidence of primary surgical trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (TMC-OA) treatment in females. The incidence is reported in 10-year age cohorts per 100,000 persons in the corresponding age group population. Only the first procedure for TMC-OA of each patient is included as primary surgical treatment.
Figure 3
Figure 3. The yearly incidence of primary surgical trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (TMC-OA) treatment in males. The incidence is reported in 10-year age cohorts per 100,000 persons in the corresponding age group population. Only the first procedure for TMC-OA of each patient is included as primary surgical treatment.
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