Trapeziectomy yielded pain relief, improved hand function in patients with arthritis

BARCELONA, Spain — Patients with first carpometacarpal arthritis who underwent trapeziectomy experienced pain relief and improvements in hand function, according to results presented at the EFORT Annual Congress.

Lara Jane Thompson

“We have demonstrated improvements across the board: pain, function and mobility and strength, and over 60% of patients felt their surgery had given them much improved outcome from preoperatively,” Lara Jane Thompson, MBChB, MRCS, said in her presentation here.

Thompson and colleagues collected hand function and patient-reported outcome measures preoperatively and at 1-year postoperatively among 46 patients with first carpometacarpal arthritis. Of these patients, 74% underwent trapeziectomy with tendon interposition and 26% underwent the procedure without trapeziectomy.

Results showed, at the time of surgery, 17% of patients underwent an additional procedure. Researchers used the Kapandji scale to measure opposition and found a mean postoperative increase of 4.1. Patients also experienced improvement in radial abduction and palmar abduction, according to results.

Although some decrease in movement in the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints was found, researchers noted that in some patients, this may reflect progression from marked hyperextension. Results showed an increase in power grip, tripod pinch, lateral pinch and pulp-to-pulp pinch, as well as improvements in all self-reported outcome measures of functional ability following surgery.

“Postoperatively, there was not a single patient who complained of 10 out of 10 pain,” Thompson said. “The majority ... reported no pain at all.” – by Casey Tingle

Reference:

Thompson LJ, et al. Paper 2370. Presented at: EFORT Annual Congress; May 30-June 1, 2018; Barcelona, Spain.

Disclosure: Thompson reports no relevant financial disclosures.