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Hypermobility features in patients with hand osteoarthritis
1Department of Rheumatology, Landspítalinn University Hospital, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
|March 1, 1995
Summary
Hypermobility is linked to thumb base osteoarthritis (OA) in a new study. Patients with joint laxity showed more severe thumb OA and disability, suggesting a distinct
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Orthopedics
- Genetics
Background:
- Hand osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease.
- Thumb base OA, specifically affecting the first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, significantly impacts hand function and quality of life.
- Articular hypermobility, characterized by excessive joint range of motion, is increasingly recognized as a potential factor in musculoskeletal conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between articular hypermobility and the prevalence, severity, and disability associated with hand osteoarthritis (OA).
- To explore whether hypermobility is a risk factor for developing OA at the thumb base (first CMC joint).
- To determine if a distinct subset of hand OA, 'hypermobility-associated OA,' exists.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 100 patients with established hand OA and 100 matched healthy controls.
- Assessment of hypermobility features using standardized criteria (e.g., Beighton score).
- Clinical evaluation of OA involvement, including location (thumb base vs. interphalangeal joints) and severity, and assessment of patient-reported disability.
Main Results:
- Clinical thumb base OA was significantly more prevalent in individuals with features of articular hypermobility compared to controls.
- Hypermobile patients exhibited more severe thumb base OA involvement and reported higher levels of disability.
- A notable trend showed less interphalangeal joint OA in hypermobile individuals, and a significant correlation was found between disability scores and the number of hypermobility criteria met.
- A majority of patients with initial or severe symptoms originating from the first CMC joint possessed hypermobility features.
Conclusions:
- This study establishes a significant relationship between articular hypermobility and the development of thumb base osteoarthritis.
- Hypermobility appears to be a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of first CMC joint OA.
- The findings suggest the potential recognition of 'hypermobility-associated OA' as a distinct clinical subset within the spectrum of hand OA.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of hypermobility-associated OA.