Effectiveness of orthosis for rhizarthrosis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease of unknown cause, characterized by loss of joint cartilage and bone formation. The characteristics of hand osteoarthritis are pain, swelling, decrease of strength, loss of range of motion and stiffness, resulting in functional impairment and difficulty to do the activities of daily living. Splints have been used in the hands of patients with osteoarthritis, especially in trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis to reduce pain/ inflammation, and prevent and / or correct deformities. This project will be done in three different phases: study I, II and III. The study I is a systematic review and if possible a meta-analysis to verify the effectiveness and safety of splints to trapeziometacarpal joint. The study II will be an RCT aims to compare the effectiveness between functional splint and night splint in pain and functionality for patients with trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. The study III will be an RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of a nighttime splint in patients with osteoarthritis of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the hands. Since the three studies are about the same theme, splint for osteoarthritis hands and following a recommendation of FAPESP the three studies were put together in the same project. (AU)