2024 EFORT Annual Meeting: Surgical treatments for base of thumb arthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised studies

Twenty randomized controlled trials including 1571 patients with end-stage base of thumb arthritis were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing various surgical treatments. Pooled outcomes of interest included pain on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS), function on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Scale (DASH), and complications. The results showed that simple trapeziectomy and total arthroplasty had the highest rankings for pain and function, respectively. Simple trapeziectomy was associated with the fewest complications. The main findings suggest that simple trapeziectomy is optimal for pain relief and has fewer complications, while total arthroplasty is best for improving function.