Thumb Proprioception in Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Thumb Proprioception Assessment: This is an observational study. All participants undergo a standardized thumb proprioception assessment performed by the same assessor. Proprioception is evaluated using (1) joint position sense error at the thumb trapeziometacarpal, metacarpophalangeal, and interphalangeal joints, and (2) pinch aperture proprioception error. No therapeutic intervention is delivered; assessments are for measurement purposes only.

Study summary

This study looks at people who have osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb. It examines how well the thumb can sense its position and movement.

The study has three goals:

1. To compare these measurements between people with thumb base osteoarthritis and healthy people.
2. To find out whether this ability changes from milder to more advanced levels of osteoarthritis.
3. To explore whether this ability is related to factors such as basic personal characteristics, thumb/hand muscle strength and hand use, pain and touch sensation, and emotional factors like fear of movement, anxiety, and depression.

This is an observational study. No treatment is given. Participants complete thumb measurements and several tests/questionnaires.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Joint Position Sense (JPS) — Baseline (single assessment at study visit)
  Thumb JPS was assessed using a joint position reproduction test at the TMC, metacarpophalangeal (MCP), and interphalangeal (IP) joints using a standard universal goniometer. Target positions were: TMC abduction at 20°, 30°, and 40°, TMC adduction at 20° and 30°; MCP flexion at 20°; and IP flexion at 20°. Each target was tested three times. JPS performance was quantified as the angular error between the target angle and the actively reproduced angle, summarized as the mean error across the three trials (degrees), with higher values indicating poorer proprioception.
• Pinch Aperture Proprioception — Baseline (single assessment at study visit)
  Pinch aperture proprioception was assessed using a pinch aperture reproduction test with a custom-built modified goniometer-based device with reported validity and reliability. The device included circular fingertip pads to standardize thumb-index placement. Two target apertures (15° and 30°) were tested, selected to represent functional pinch apertures for common objects, such as a large medication container (approximately 3.5 cm diameter) and a standard drinking glass (approximately 7 cm diameter), respectively. For each target, three trials were performed, and angular error was computed as the difference between target and actively reproduced aperture; the mean error across trials was used (degrees), with higher values indicating greater impairment. Bidirectional testing (30°→15° and 15°→30°) was performed as described in the protocol.

Trial sites (1)

More Hacettepe University trials in Turkey

Other trials for the same condition