Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Denervation Has Lower Reoperation Rates Than Trapeziectomy for Thumb Base Arthritis: A...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Hand Surgery
• Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background:

• Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis is a common condition.
• Surgical options include trapeziectomy and CMC denervation.
• Limited comparative data exists on the long-term efficacy of these procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the rates of secondary surgery after trapeziectomy versus CMC denervation for CMC osteoarthritis.
• To investigate the relative longevity of these two surgical interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective query of the PearlDiver Mariner Database for patients with CMC arthritis.
• Propensity score-matched analysis comparing CMC denervation and trapeziectomy cohorts.
• Primary endpoint: all-cause reoperation rates at 2 years, excluding hardware removal.

Main Results:

• 540 patients in each matched cohort (denervation vs. trapeziectomy).
• Cohorts were well-balanced in age, comorbidity, and sex.
• Denervation group had significantly lower reoperation rates (3.3% vs. 7.8%, P=.002) at 2 years.

Conclusions:

• CMC denervation was associated with significantly lower reoperation rates compared to trapeziectomy at the 2-year follow-up.
• Integrating CMC denervation earlier in treatment algorithms may provide short- to mid-term benefits.
• Further research is needed to validate these findings and assess long-term outcomes.