Osteoarthritis Progression, Pain, and Function in Early Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis: A Six-Year Longitudinal Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the 6-year progression of modified Eaton staging, pain scores, and hand strength in patients with early carpometacarpal osteoarthritis (OA) and healthy controls, illustrating the differences between OA groups and controls. Osteoarthritis patients were stratified into stable and progressing groups using three-dimensional computed tomography imaging to identify clinical and radiographic markers differentiating progressing OA from stable disease and healthy controls. Methods: Data were collected from 86 early carpometacarpal OA patients, classified as stable or progressing OA based on trapezial osteophyte volume (progression defined as >150 mm Results: Progressing OA demonstrated an increase in modified Eaton score, with clear progression by year 6. Patient-rated wrist/hand evaluation and Australian/Canadian OA hand index pain scores were elevated in both stable and progressing OA groups at baseline and year 6 compared with controls ( Conclusions: Marked radiographic differences in modified Eaton score distinguish progressing from stable OA, indicating that structural progression is a key marker of disease advancement. Minimal differences in pain, functional scores, and hand strength between OA groups suggest that radiographic changes are more distinct indicators of OA progression than subjective or objective functional measures. These findings emphasize radiographic monitoring as the major parameter for OA progression. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic III.