Trapeziometacarpal total joint arthroplasty, with or without supervised hand rehabilitation: A quasi-experimental trial.

Introduction: Aim of this study was to determine whether postoperative supervised rehabilitation improves functional outcomes after trapeziometacarpal (TMC) total joint arthroplasty (TJA), compared to education alone.

Method: A quasi-experimental before-after trial included 31 women (≥40 years) per group diagnosed with trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis who underwent TJA. A cohort (n = 31) who was given education alone was compared to a cohort (n = 31) who were subjected to supervised rehabilitation. Primary outcome was the difference in hand function 3 months postoperatively, measured by the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHOQ). Other outcomes were the MHOQ subscale scores, the active range of motion, strength, time to return to work, satisfaction and complications.

Results: Patients in the education group had a significantly higher median delta MHOQ score when compared to the rehabilitation group at 3 months; 28.5 (20.5-31.3) versus 15.8 (1.9-21.1), (p = <0.01) and at 12 months 36.6 (26.8 - 47.2) versus 27.4 (14.5 - 33.0), (p = 0.01). Only the secondary outcomes the MHOQ subscales hand function, ADL and satisfaction revealed significant differences in favor of the education group. The education method reduced the median number of hand therapy sessions with eight visits.

Conclusion: The present study does not show a significant or clinically relevant benefit from supervised rehabilitation in terms of functional outcomes following TJA compared to education alone. Based on this, it seems safe to leave patients unsupervised in their recovery following TJA and to suffice with just education, however further exploration of effectiveness and safety of this intervention is recommend in larger trials.