EC Orthopaedics

Background: Osteoarthritis of the hand, a disabling painful health condition, has been a topic of great interest to clinicians, patients, and researchers for many years with no definitive consensus on its origins or most efficacious form of treatment or prevention. While various determinants such as age and occupation or both have been proposed to have an influence on this condition, perhaps more specific attention to its functional correlates such as muscle, often an osteoarthritis treatment target, may prove enlightening in this regard.

Aim: This mini review sought to examine what researchers have reported over the years concerning the role muscle function deficits may play in the progression of hand osteoarthritis in older adults, if any.

Methods: A search for the available English language related literature housed in several key data bases detailing the combined topics of hand osteoarthritis and motor/muscle function was undertaken in an effort to uncover what has been observed, and whether any observation is of special interest.

Results: Cumulative findings appear to support an important role for efforts to examine muscle function and treat this accordingly where subnormal in adults with or at risk for hand osteoarthritis.

Conclusion: Future well-designed case studies of various hand osteoarthritis samples using clinically relevant biomechanical, neurological, and biochemical outcome instruments are likely to prove extremely valuable in explaining the disease etiology and averting the onset and progression of disabling hand osteoarthritis manifestations.

Keywords: Hand Function; Hand Osteoarthritis; Motor Function; Older Adults

1. Sun Xueshan., et al. “Osteoarthritis in the middle-aged and elderly in China: prevalence and influencing factors”. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health23 (2019): 4701.
2. Semenistaja Sofija., et al. “Healthy and osteoarthritis-affected joints facing the cellular crosstalk”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences4 (2023): 4120.
3. Tenti Sara., et al. “An update on the use of conventional and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in hand osteoarthritis”. Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 15 (2023): 1759720X231158618.
4. Kolasinski Sharon L., et al. “2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the management of osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee”. Arthritis Care and Research2 (2020): 149-162.
5. Gabay Odile and Cem Gabay. “Hand osteoarthritis: new insights”. Joint Bone Spine2 (2013): 130-134.
6. Leung Garvin J., et al. “Osteoarthritis of the hand I: aetiology and pathogenesis, risk factors, investigation and diagnosis”. The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology3 (2014): 339-346.
7. Shah Karishma., et al. “Risk factors for the progression of finger interphalangeal joint osteoarthritis: a systematic review”. Rheumatology International11 (2020): 1781-1792.
8. Plotz Benjamin., et al. “Current epidemiology and risk factors for the development of hand osteoarthritis”. Current Rheumatology Reports8 (2021): 61.
9. Kloppenburg Margreet and Wing-Yee Kwok. “Hand osteoarthritis--a heterogeneous disorder”. Nature Reviews Rheumatology1 (2011): 22-31.
10. Wu John Z., et al. “A simulating analysis of the effects of increased joint stiffness on muscle loading in a thumb”. Biomedical Engineering Online41 (2009).
11. Liu Rani., et al. “Coping styles and disability in patients with hand osteoarthritis”. Rheumatology3 (2016): 411-418.
12. Mulrooney Elisabeth., et al. “The associations of psychological symptoms and cognitive patterns with pain and pain sensitization in people with hand osteoarthritis”. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open2 (2022): 100267.
13. Nunes Paula Martins., et al. “Relationship between hand function and grip force control in women with hand osteoarthritis”. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development6 (2012): 855-865.
14. Kodama Rie., et al. “Prevalence of hand osteoarthritis and its relationship to hand pain and grip strength in Japan: The third survey of the ROAD study”. Modern Rheumatology5 (2016): 767-773.
15. Siviero Paola., et al. “Factors associated with functional decline in hand and hip/knee osteoarthritis after one year: data from a population-based study”. Arthritis Care and Research9 (2021): 1343-1353.
16. Luker Kali R., et al. “Functional task kinematics of the thumb carpometacarpal joint”. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research4 (2014): 1123-11129.
17. Tossini Natália Barbosa., et al. “Impairment of electrical activation of wrist flexor and extensor muscles during gripping and functional activities in the early stage of hand osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study”. Journal of Hand Therapy1 (2021): 109-115.
18. Østerås Nina., et al. “Limited effects of exercises in people with hand osteoarthritis: results from a randomized controlled trial”. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage9 (2014): 1224-1233.
19. Rezuş Elena., et al. “From pathogenesis to therapy in knee osteoarthritis: bench-to-bedside”. International Journal of Molecular Sciences5 (2021): 2697.
20. Gandola Martina., et al. “Functional brain effects of hand disuse in patients with trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis: executed and imagined movements”. Experimental Brain Research10 (2017): 3227-3241.
21. Buvinic Sonja., et al. “Muscle-Bone Crosstalk in the Masticatory System: From Biomechanical to Molecular Interactions”. Frontiers in Endocrinology 11 (2021): 606947.
22. Davis Julie E., et al. “Characteristics of Accelerated Hand Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative”. The Journal of Rheumatology4 (2019): 422-428.
23. O'Neill Terence W., et al. “Update on the epidemiology, risk factors and disease outcomes of osteoarthritis”. Best Practice and Research Clinical Rheumatology2 (2018): 312-326.
24. Marshall Michelle., et al. “Hand osteoarthritis: clinical phenotypes, molecular mechanisms and disease management”. Nature Reviews Rheumatology11 (2018): 641-656.
25. Shorter Emily., et al. “Skeletal muscle wasting and its relationship with osteoarthritis: a mini-review of mechanisms and current interventions”. Current Rheumatology Reports 21 (2019): 1-8.
26. Tarragó Maria da Graca L., et al. “Descending control of nociceptive processing in knee osteoarthritis is associated with intracortical disinhibition: an exploratory study”. Medicine17 (2016): e3353.
27. Kerkhof Faes., et al. “The biomechanics of osteoarthritis in the hand: Implications and prospects for hand therapy”. Journal of Hand Therapy3 (2022): 367-376.
28. Lennerová Tereza., et al. “Biomarkers of hand osteoarthritis”. Rheumatology International5 (2018): 725-735.
29. Berger Michael J., et al. “Vastus medialis motor unit properties in knee osteoarthritis”. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders199 (2011): 99.
30. Simis Marcel., et al. “Increased motor cortex inhibition as a marker of compensation to chronic pain in knee osteoarthritis”. Scientific Reports1 (2021): 24011.
31. Barroso Joana., et al. “Reorganization of functional brain network architecture in chronic osteoarthritis pain”. Human Brain Mapping4 (2021): 1206-1222.
32. Richette Pascal and Augustin Latourte. “L’arthrose digitale” [Hand Osteoarthritis]”. La Revue Du Praticien10 (2021): 1118-1120.
33. Dahaghin S., et al. “Prevalence and pattern of radiographic hand osteoarthritis and association with pain and disability (the Rotterdam study)”. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases5 (2005): 682-687.
34. Hart DJ and TD Spector. “Definition and epidemiology of osteoarthritis of the hand: a review”. Osteoarthritis and CartilageA (2000): S2-S7.
35. Jiang Liying., et al. “Body mass index and hand osteoarthritis susceptibility: an updated meta-analysis”. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases12 (2016): 1244-1254.
36. Prieto-Alhambra Daniel., et al. “Incidence and risk factors for clinically diagnosed knee, hip and hand osteoarthritis: influences of age, gender and osteoarthritis affecting other joints”. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases9 (2014): 1659-1664.
37. Moore Colin W., et al. “Fiber type composition of contiguous palmaris longus and abductor pollicis brevis muscles: morphological evidence of a functional synergy”. Journal of Anatomy1 (2021): 53-62.
38. Seok Hyun Sik., et al. “Is thumb proprioception decreased in patients with trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis?” Annals of Plastic Surgery4 (2020): 379-383.
39. Coughlan Monica J., et al. “Reduction in cylindrical grasp strength is associated with early thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis”. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research2 (2017): 522-528.
40. Neuprez Audrey., et al. “Aesthetic discomfort in hand osteoarthritis: results from the LIège Hand Osteoarthritis Cohort (LIHOC)”. Arthritis Research and Therapy346 (2015): 30.
41. Pérez-Mármol Jose Manuel., et al. “Effectiveness of a fine motor skills rehabilitation program on upper limb disability, manual dexterity, pinch strength, range of fingers motion, performance in activities of daily living, functional independency, and general self-efficacy in hand osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial”. Journal of Hand Therapy3 (2017): 262-273.
42. Van Beest Sjoerd., et al. “Patients with clinically diagnosed hand OA not fulfilling the ACR classification criteria are in an earlier disease phase and more often have thumb base OA”. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open2 (2023): 100347.
43. Auroux M., et al. “The disability associated with hand osteoarthritis is substantial in a cohort of post-menopausal women: the QUALYOR study”. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage11 (2022): 1526-1535.
44. Brorsson Sofia., et al. “Differences in muscle activity during hand-dexterity tasks between women with arthritis and a healthy reference group”. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 15 (2014): 154.
45. Cantero-Téllez., et al. “Effect of muscle strength and pain on hand function in patients with trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. A cross-sectional study”. Reumatología Clínica6 (2015): 340-344.
46. Jarque-Bou Néstor J., et al. “Toward early and objective hand osteoarthritis detection by using EMG during grasps”. Sensors5 (2023): 2413.
47. De Monsabert., et al. “Quantification of finger joint loadings using musculoskeletal modelling clarifies mechanical risk factors of hand osteoarthritis”. Medical Engineering and Physics2 (2014): 177-184.
48. De Oliveira., et al. “Grip force control in individuals with hand osteoarthritis”. Journal of Hand Therapy4 (2011): 345-354.
49. Magni Nicoló Edoardo., et al. “Sensorimotor performance and function in people with osteoarthritis of the hand: A case-control comparison”. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism5 (2018): 676-682.
50. Ouegnin Adele and Kristin Valdes. “Joint position sense impairments in older adults with carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: A descriptive comparative study”. Journal of Hand Therapy4 (2020): 547-552.
51. Tossini Natália Barbosa., et al. “Initial stages of hand osteoarthritis do not affect the extrinsic muscles of the hand: a cross-sectional study”. Scientific Reports1 (2021): 1-6.
52. Hagert Elisabet and Nathalie Mobargha. "The role of proprioception in osteoarthritis of the hand and wrist”. Current Rheumatology Reviews4 (2012): 278-284.
53. Villafañe Jorge H., et al. “Hypoalgesic and motor effects of Kaltenborn mobilization on elderly patients with secondary thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial”. Journal Of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics8 (2011): 547-556.
54. Østerås Nina., et al. “Exercise for hand osteoarthritis”. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews1 (2017): CD010388.
55. Calder Kristina M., et al. “Muscle activation during hand dexterity tasks in women with hand osteoarthritis and control subjects”. Journal of Hand Therapy3 (2011): 207-215.
56. Kim Young Hoon., et al. “Associations between hand function and electrophysiological measurements in hand osteoarthritis patients of different ages with or without carpal tunnel syndrome”. Scientific Reports119278 (2020).
57. Lawrence Emily L., et al. “Outcome measures for hand function naturally reveal three latent domains in older adults: strength, coordinated upper extremity function, and sensorimotor processing”. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience108 (2015).
58. Després Christine., et al. “Standardization of a neuromotor test battery: the CATSYS system”. Neurotoxicology5 (2000): 725-736.
59. Carmeli Eli., et al. “The aging hand”. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences 58.2 (2003): M146-M152.
60. Arazpour Mokhtar., et al. “The effect of thumb splinting on thenar muscles atrophy, pain, and function in subjects with thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis”. Prosthetics and Orthotics International4 (2017): 379-386.