• Department of hand and microsurgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin 300211, China;
YIN Zhonggang, Email: zgyin@hotmail.com
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Objective  To compare the effectiveness and complications of various surgical techniques in the treatment of the osteoarthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint.
Methods  We searched MEDLINE (1966 to 2005), Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Issue 3, 2005) and CBM (1978 to 2005), and handsearched the references of relevant studies. Only randomized controlled trials were included. We assessed the methodological quality of the included studies, extracted data, and performed quantitative and qualitative analyses.
Results  Seven studies were included, and all had some methodological shortcomings. There was b evidence that in the short term, ligamentous reconstruction, tendon interposition (LRTI) and trapeziectomy alone provide similar results with regard to pain relief, grip and pinch strength, range of thumb motion, hand function and overall satisfaction of patients, but more complications occur with LRTI than with trapeziectomy alone. Conflicting evidence was found about whether LRTI resulted in less subsidence of the first metacarpal bone than trapeziectomy alone. There was moderate evidence that LRTI and ligament reconstruction without tendon interposition (LR) did not have significant differences in thumb strength, patient satisfaction and subsidence of the first metacarpal bone. Limited evidence showed that LR produced better functional scores than LRTI and similar results in pain relief to LRTI. Conflicting evidence supported that LR resulted in greater motion range of thumb than LRTI. Only limited evidence showed that effectiveness was similar between LRTI and Swanson implant. We did not find randomized controlled trials about other surgical techniques.
Conclusion  Not enough evidence supports superiority of one technique over another. More high quality randomized controlled trials and long term follow-up are necessary.

Citation: YIN Zhonggang,WANG Xiaogang,KAN Shilian. Surgical Treatment for Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis:A Systematic Review. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2006, 06(3): 179-188. doi: Copy