Dislocations of the fourth and fifth carpometacarpal joints (CMCJs) are rare and often misdiagnosed via radiography. Moreover, treatment strategies have not yet been standardized. Herein, we report a case of chronic dislocations of the fourth and fifth CMCJs with delayed diagnosis and successful treatment via ligament repair. A 29-year-old male patient who was initially diagnosed with contusion at another center following a fall on the stairs was referred to our hospital one month later due to persistent pain and swelling. Fourth and fifth CMCJ dislocations were diagnosed using radiography and computed tomography. Closed reduction attempts were unsuccessful, prompting open reduction. The operative findings included rupture of the dorsal carpometacarpal ligament and hamate cartilage injury. Using two mini anchors, the fourth and fifth dorsal carpometacarpal ligaments were repaired, and Kirschner-wire (K-wire) pinning was performed. The K-wire was extracted after four weeks. At the eight-month follow-up, the only remaining symptom was mild discomfort, and the range of motion and grip strength was fully recovered. Our findings highlight the difficulties in diagnosing CMCJ dislocation and suggest ligament repair as a treatment option for chronic cases of CMCJ dislocation.

Background: Arthroscopic debridement is increasingly being utilised in patients with early-stage first carpometacarpal joint (FCMCJ) arthritis but has limited supportive evidence. This systematic review evaluates the literature, and reports on outcomes and adverse events following this procedure. Methods: An electronic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Medline and Cochrane Central, looking for studies describing outcomes following arthroscopic debridement in FCMCJ arthritis, was performed in November 2022. Studies where bony resection or interposition was performed as adjuncts were excluded. Reported outcomes included visual analogue scores (VAS) for pain; Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores; pinch and grip strength; complications and re-operations. Results: Out of a total of 90 studies revealed from the search, only two studies were eligible for inclusion, with a cohort of 34 patients. Following arthroscopic debridement for FCMCJ osteoarthritis, the mean VAS improved by four units, mean DASH by 22 points, grip strength by 4.5 kg and pinch strength by 2 kg at mean follow-up of 18 months. The pooled complication and re-operation rates were 8.8% and 23.5%, respectively. Conclusions: There is a lack of evidence supporting the utility of FCMCJ arthroscopy and debridement in the management of patients with early arthritis. Although the limited evidence suggests that there may be some therapeutic benefit, further large-scale prospective studies need to be performed before making conclusive recommendations. Level of Evidence: Level III (Therapeutic).

Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly treated with total joint arthroplasty (TJA). We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the benefits and harms of the TJA for thumb CMC OA compared with other treatment strategies.
We performed a systematic search on MEDLINE and CENTRAL databases on August 2, 2023. We included randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of TJA in people with thumb CMC joint OA regardless of the stage or etiology of the disease or comparator. The outcomes were pooled with a random effect meta-analysis.
We identified 4 studies randomizing 420 participants to TJA or trapeziectomy. At 3 months, TJA\'s benefits for pain may exceed the clinically important difference. However, after 1-year follow-up TJA does not improve pain compared with trapeziectomy (mean difference 0.53 points on a 0 to 10 scale; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.81). Furthermore, it provides a transient benefit in hand function at 3 months (measured with Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire, scale 0-100, lower is better) compared with trapeziectomy with or without ligament reconstruction tendon interposition. The benefit in function diminished to a clinically unimportant level at 1-year follow-up (4.4 points better; CI 0.42-8.4).
Transient benefit in hand function for TJA implies that it could be a preferable option over trapeziectomy for people who consider fast postoperative recovery important. However, current evidence fails to inform us if TJA carries long-term higher risks of revisions compared with trapeziectomy.

(1) Background: Dislocations of the trapeziometacarpal joint (TMC) are uncommon in children and adolescents. Only a few isolated cases are reported in the literature. Therapeutic guidance is minimal and inconclusive. (2) Methods: The authors present four patients treated for this unusual lesion. We evaluated the evolution according to treatment, age, patient activity, and quickDASH. Despite the clear limitation of the small number of patients, it is relevant to try to better understand this lesion and its evolution. A systematic review of the literature was also conducted. (3) Results: This is the largest published series of TMC dislocations in children and adolescents. Patients included a 12-year-old girl treated conservatively with a poor quickDASH; a 9-year-old girl treated surgically with the Eaton-Littler technique for a new dislocation with a partially modified quickDASH; a 13-year-old boy with two necessary closed reductions for a new dislocation and a very good final quickDASH; and a 12-year-old boy treated with closed reduction and percutaneous fixation with excellent final results with quickDASH. (4) Conclusions: In the absence of scientific evidence, conservative treatment and ligament reconstruction did not provide good functionality. In contrast, closed reduction with percutaneous fixation provided excellent results. Therefore, the authors would recommend closed reduction and percutaneous needle fixation as an elective method to treat TMC dislocations in pediatric and adolescent patients.

OBJECTIVE: As osteoarthritis (OA) of the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint leads to a high degree of disease burden with compromises in rudimentary and fine movements of the hand, intra-articular injections may be a desirable treatment option. However, because there are no evidence-based guidelines, the choice of intra-articular injection type is left to the discretion of the individual surgeon in collaboration with the patient. The purpose of our study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis using level I studies to compare outcomes following corticosteroid and alternative methods of intra-articular injections for the management of TMC OA. Our hypothesis was that intra-articular corticosteroid injections were no more effective than other methods of intra-articular injections for the management of TMC OA.
METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed. Eligible for inclusion were randomized control trials reporting on intra-articular corticosteroid injection for the management of TMC OA. Clinical outcomes were recorded.
RESULTS: The 10 included studies comprised 673 patients. The mean age was 57.8 ± 8.3 years, with a mean follow-up of 6.4 ± 2.7 months. There was no significant difference in visual analog scale scores, grip strength and tip pinch strength between corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid at short- and medium-term follow-up. Further, there was no difference in visual analog scale pain scores at rest at medium-term follow-up between corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite short-term improvement with intra-articular corticosteroid injections, there was no significant difference in pain and functional outcomes following intra-articular corticosteroid injections compared to hyaluronic acid or platelet-rich plasma administration. Given the affordability, ease of administration, and efficacy associated with corticosteroids, they are a favorable option when considering the choice of intra-articular injection for the management of TMC OA.
METHODS: Therapeutic II.

Thumb osteoarthritis is a frequent pathology, mainly affecting the elderly. The surgical treatment initially described and having proved its worth is total trapeziectomy. Since the advent of trapeziometacarpal prostheses, several studies showed the non-inferiority of this technique on clinical criteria, with superiority in bone sparing, although neither technique demonstrated overall superiority. We therefore examined the specific complications of each surgical technique by analyzing their nature and prevalence through a review of the literature to compare them on these new parameters.
Seventy-four of the 320 articles reviewed were included, 38 of which concerned trapeziectomy, and 36 concerned prostheses, for a total of 4,865 patients. They were original studies, involving adults undergoing trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty or trapeziectomy, published after 2015, reporting at least one well-described complication.
6.13% of trapeziectomies presented severe complications (in particular thumb collapse and metacarpophalangeal hyperextension), 3.31% moderate complications and 1.90% minor complications, leading to a 2.0% revision rate. 23.88% of prostheses had severe complications (loosening, dislocation and wear), 5.06% moderate complications and 1.36% minor complications, leading to a 12.8% revision rate. In addition, we analyzed more recent prosthesis designs separately, and found lower prevalence of severe complications (16.56%) and revision surgery (4.3%).
Revision surgery for trapeziometacarpal prostheses is usually only a standard trapeziectomy with the same follow-up as first-line trapeziectomy, whereas revision surgery for trapeziectomies is much more complex and the results are uncertain. For this reason, we would reserve total trapeziectomy for revision surgeries and patients with low functional demand for whom a second surgery is not desirable. Further studies could confirm this attitude, especially focusing on the latest generation of dual mobility implants.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the association of pain, function, and progression in first carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis (OA) with imaging biomarkers and radiography-based staging.
METHODS: Database searches in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, along with citation searching were conducted in accordance with published guidance. Data on the association of imaging with pain, functional status, and disease progression were extracted and synthesized, along with key information on study methodology such as sample sizes, use of control subjects, study design, number of image raters, and blinding. Methodological quality was assessed using National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute tools.
RESULTS: After duplicate removal, a total of 1969 records were screened. Forty-six articles are included in this review, covering a total of 28,202 study participants, 7263 with first CMC OA. Osteophytes were found to be one of the strongest biomarkers for pain across imaging modalities. Radiographic findings alone showed conflicting relationships with pain. However, Kellgren-Lawrence staging showed consistent associations with pain in various studies. Radiographic, sonographic, and MRI findings and staging showed little association to tools evaluating functional status across imaging modalities. The same imaging methods showed limited ability to predict progression of first CMC OA. A major limitation was the heterogeneity in the study base, limiting synthesis of results.
CONCLUSIONS: Imaging findings and radiography-based staging systems generally showed strong associations with pain, but not with functional status or disease progression. More research and improved imaging techniques are needed to help physicians better manage patients with first CMC OA.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of treatment outcomes and change in health status over time is a critical component of clinical practice and research for people with osteoarthritis. Numerous clinical tools are used to assess the structures and function of the thumb in persons with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis however their psychometrics have not yet been systematically explored.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of clinical tools used in persons with non-surgical thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis to objectively measure thumb structures and function, evaluate the quality of such studies, and subsequently make clinical and future research recommendations.
METHODS: Systematic review.
METHODS: A systematic search and screening was conducted across nine databases. Original research published between 2002 and 2022 that involved the assessment of psychometric properties (validity, reliability, precision, responsiveness, sensitivity, specificity, and minimal clinically important difference) of clinical tools were included. Sample characteristics, methods, and psychometric findings from each study were compiled. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments\' checklist. Two independent researchers screened articles and assessed methodological quality and when not in agreement, a third party was consulted.
RESULTS: Eleven studies were included in the review. The mean age of all participants in the studies was 69 years of age. The study designs included prospective case-control, prospective cohort, and cross-sectional to determine the psychometric properties of the measurements and tools. The included studies examined techniques to assess range of motion, strength, and pain-pressure thresholds, and screen for arthritis (ie, provocative tests). The intermetacarpal distance method, Kapandji index, pain-pressure threshold test, and pain-free grip and pinch dynamometry demonstrate excellent reliability and acceptable precision. Metacarpal extension, adduction, and pressure-shear provocative tests have superior sensitivity and specificity and the extension and adduction tests have excellent reliability. Other assessments included in the review yielded less robust psychometric properties. Studies were of variable methodological quality spanning from inadequate to very good.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the available literature on the psychometric properties of assessments of body structures and functions in persons with non-operative thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis, we offer a limited set of recommendations for use when screening for arthritis symptomology and measuring hand strength, thumb mobility, and pain thresholds. Additional psychometric research is needed in these domains as well as in dexterity, sensation, and objective measures of hand function. Future research should employ best practices in psychometric research.

Surgical denervation has been proposed as a treatment for pain in hand osteoarthritis (OA). This review aimed to summarise the available evidence and to propose a research agenda.
A systematic literature search was performed up to September 2022. Two investigators independently identified studies that reported on denervation for OA of the proximal interphalangeal, distal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal or carpometacarpal joints. Quality of studies was assessed and study characteristics, patient characteristics, details of the surgical technique and outcomes of the surgery were extracted.
Of 169 references, 17 articles reporting on 384 denervations in 351 patients were selected. Sixteen case series reported positive outcomes with respect to pain, function and patient satisfaction. One non-randomised clinical trial reported no difference in outcome when comparing denervation of the first carpometacarpal (CMC I) joint to trapeziectomy. Adverse events were frequent, with sensory abnormalities occurring the most, followed by the need for revision surgery. All studies had significant risk of bias.
Surgical denervation for pain in hand OA shows some promise, but the available evidence does not allow any conclusions of efficacy and higher-quality research is needed. Techniques should be harmonised and more data regarding how denervation compares to current usual care, other denervation methods or placebo in terms of outcomes and adverse events are needed.

Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint dislocations are rare with minimal agreement on surgical management. The dorsoradial ligament (DRL) is the primary joint stabilizer but has not historically been reconstructed. We hypothesize that the reported reconstruction of first CMC joint dislocations primarily uses the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) without collective agreement on a surgical technique.
A systematic review of the PubMed database from 1996 to 2022 was done. Keywords were \"thumb dislocation,\" \"thumb carpometacarpal dislocation,\" and \"carpometacarpal joint ligament repair.\" Inclusion criteria included isolated, unstable thumb CMC dislocations with reconstruction. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines were used.
Four hundred thirty-seven records were identified, and nine met inclusion criteria. Two articles were cohort studies, and seven were case reports. Thirty-seven patients were included, and 26 patients had reconstruction with tendonous autograft. Twenty-five (96.2%) used the FCR and 1 (3.9%) from the palmaris longus. Three patients had reconstruction with a suture anchor. Surgical techniques varied between studies.
The recommendation of the authors recreates the DRL during autograft repair. Current repair techniques that recreate the DRL use the FCR, but quantitative comparisons of tendonous autografts or suture anchors have not been done.