What Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Correlate With Expectations With Trapeziometacarpal Arthritis?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Hand Surgery
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Patient expectations are linked to treatment outcomes in thumb trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (OA).
• Understanding factors influencing patient expectations is crucial for effective patient education and communication in OA management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and expectations for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (OA) treatment.
• To identify factors independently associated with overall expectations and the desire for a "back to normal" outcome in OA patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 89 patients with trapeziometacarpal OA between March 2011 and October 2013.
• Participants completed a validated survey assessing the number and degree of expected improvements.
• Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors correlating with patient expectations, controlling for confounding variables.

Main Results:

• Higher expectation scores were associated with choosing surgery, being female, and having the dominant side affected.
• Expecting a "back to normal" outcome was linked to surgical treatment and a history of previous injury.
• No significant associations were found with age, marital status, work status, or psychological factors.

Conclusions:

• Female gender, dominant side involvement, and surgical treatment choice predict higher patient expectations in trapeziometacarpal OA.
• Previous injury and surgical choice are associated with expecting a complete return to normal function.
• Identifying these factors allows for targeted patient education to manage expectations effectively.