Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42357973›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of hand surgery, European volume2026

Factors associated with pain after non-surgical treatment for trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis.

Lisa M J Esteban Lopez, Lisa Hoogendam, Ruud W Selles, THETA Study Group Collaborators, Robbert M Wouters

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Article in The Journal of hand surgery, European volume, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lisa M J Esteban LopezDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2494-6047
Lisa HoogendamDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Ruud W SellesDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-2432-6756
THETA Study Group Collaborators
Robbert M WoutersDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAlthough non-surgical treatment for trapeziometacarpal joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) reduces pain, outcomes vary substantially. This study investigated factors associated with pain at 3 months after starting non-surgical treatment for TMJ OA.

methodsThis secondary analysis from a previous randomized controlled trial included 113 patients (Eaton-Glickel stage ⩾2 TMJ OA) from 18 outpatient hand surgery clinics in The Netherlands, comprising specialized clinics, regional hospitals and one academic hospital. Participants were randomized to orthosis-only or orthosis + exercise groups. Both groups received a standardized custom-made thumb orthosis, and the combined group also received supervised hand therapy with a structured home exercise programme. The primary outcome was the Michigan Hand outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) pain subscale at 3 months, which was modified so that higher scores indicated less pain. We used linear regression analysis to investigate the association of baseline pain, psychological factors, outcome expectations, adherence to therapy, perceived attention, patient experience with care, treatment frequency and changes in grip and pinch strength with MHQ pain.

resultsBetter MHQ pain score at baseline, higher baseline outcome expectations and improvement in grip strength after 3 months were associated with better pain outcomes. The MHQ pain baseline score had the strongest independent association.

conclusionBaseline pain severity, outcome expectations and grip strength are associated with pain at 3 months after the use of orthoses with or without exercise therapy for TMJ OA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

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Associationosteoarthritispaintherapythumb

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