Clinical thresholds of symptoms for deciding on surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis

The severity of preoperative symptoms at which patients are likely to achieve a minimal important change and patient acceptable symptom state after surgery may help the decision to perform surgery for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. The study objective was to define these thresholds for pain at rest and during activities as well as for the brief Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. One hundred and fifty-one patients were examined before surgery and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. The minimal important change after surgery was 1.9, 3.9 and 16 scores for pain at rest, pain during activities and the brief Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire, respectively. The respective patient acceptable symptom state values were 1.5, 2.5 and 70 after surgery. Our results show that patients with baseline pain values between 3.5 and 5.5 at rest, between 6.5 and 7.5 during activities and a presurgery brief Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire score of about 47, have the greatest chance of achieving a relevant symptom change and an acceptable symptom state. The information from this study may help surgeons in deciding the surgical indications and help patients in their expectation in symptom relief after surgery. Level of evidence: IV.