Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 30;11(6):509-520.
doi: 10.1055/s-0042-1744493. eCollection 2022 Dec.

Treatment of First Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis with Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review

Beau M McGinley  1 , Brianna L Siracuse  1 , Michael B Gottschalk  1 , Eric R Wagner  1
Affiliations

Treatment of First Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis with Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review

Beau M McGinley et al. J Wrist Surg. .

Abstract

Background First carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis or trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis is a common debilitating hand condition. No one surgical technique has demonstrated superiority in managing this disease. Purpose This study performed a systematic review of arthroscopic techniques for treating first CMC arthritis to assess the effectiveness of different arthroscopic techniques. Methods Grip strength, pinch strength, visual analog scale, the Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score, range of motion (ROM), and complications were recorded. Two subgroup analyses were performed, comparing outcomes of (1) trapeziectomy of any type versus debridement alone and (2) trapeziectomy alone versus interposition versus suspension techniques. Results Preoperative and postoperative scores significantly improved for DASH scores and pain at rest and with activity with variable improvements in ROM. Complications occurred in 13% of cases in publications that reported complications. When comparing studies that utilized techniques with any type of trapeziectomy to debridement alone, only the trapeziectomy subgroup showed significant improvements in pain. When comparing trapeziectomy alone to interposition and suspension techniques, mean DASH scores and pain levels significantly improved in interposition and suspension subgroups. Conclusions The existing literature describes a predominantly female population with Eaton-Littler stage II and III disease. In the subgroup analysis, arthroscopic techniques involving a trapeziectomy seem to be more effective at lowering pain scores compared to techniques involving debridement alone. Likewise, interposition and suspension techniques may show improved outcomes compared to techniques involving trapeziectomy alone. Level of evidence This is a Level III study.

Keywords: arthroscopy; basal joint; carpometacarpal; osteoarthritis; systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study selection. CMC, carpometacarpal; OA, osteoarthritis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sodha S, Ring D, Zurakowski D, Jupiter J B. Prevalence of osteoarthrosis of the trapeziometacarpal joint. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87(12):2614–2618. - PubMed
    1. Ladd A L, Weiss A P, Crisco J J. The thumb carpometacarpal joint: anatomy, hormones, and biomechanics. Instr Course Lect. 2013;62:165–179. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Armstrong A L, Hunter J B, Davis T R. The prevalence of degenerative arthritis of the base of the thumb in post-menopausal women. J Hand Surg [Br] 1994;19(03):340–341. - PubMed
    1. Villafañe J H, Valdes K, Bertozzi L, Negrini S. Minimal clinically important difference of grip and pinch strength in women with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis when compared to healthy subjects. Rehabil Nurs. 2017;42(03):139–145. - PubMed
    1. Veltre D R, Yakavonis M, Curry E J. Regional variations of medicare physician payments for hand surgery procedures in the United States. Hand (N Y) 2019;14(02):209–216. - PMC - PubMed