Postoperative Radiographic Outcomes Following Abduction-Extension Metacarpal Osteotomy: A Comparison between Early...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Hand Surgery
• Osteoarthritis Research

Background:

• Carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis commonly causes dorsal subluxation.
• Thumb metacarpal osteotomy is a surgical option for CMC joint OA.
• Understanding its efficacy in early versus advanced OA is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of first metacarpal osteotomy on dorsal subluxation in CMC joint OA.
• To compare surgical outcomes between early (Eaton I-II) and advanced (Eaton III) OA stages.
• To identify factors influencing the reduction of subluxation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 42 thumbs from 37 patients with >2 years follow-up.
• Patients underwent metacarpal osteotomy with a postoperative extension angle ≥90°.
• Dorsal subluxation reduction ratio was measured at multiple postoperative time points.

Main Results:

• Early OA group showed significantly higher subluxation reduction at 3 months post-surgery.
• No significant difference in reduction ratio between early and advanced OA at 1 year and latest follow-up.
• A positive correlation was found between reduction ratio and postoperative extension angle.

Conclusions:

• First metacarpal osteotomy is effective in reducing dorsal subluxation for both early and advanced CMC OA.
• Early-stage OA achieves rapid subluxation correction, while advanced stages show progressive improvement.
• Postoperative extension angle is a key factor in surgical success.