FINNISH THUMB ARTHRITIS SURGERY trial
FINTASY-trial is an ongoing multi-centre randomized controlled trial (RCT) carried out in four hand surgery departments in Finland: Tampere University Hospital (coordinating centre), Helsinki University Hospital, Central Hospital of Central Finland (Jyväskylä), and Kuopio University Hospital.
What is the primary objective of the FINTASY-trial?
We aim to determine the efficacy of trapeziectomy, the gold standard surgery for patients with painful thumb basal joint (CMC1-joint) osteoarthritis.
Why is this trial needed?
Thumb basal joint osteoarthritis is a common painful condition of the hand, affecting the quality of life of up to 10% of women 5% of men in their sixties. Typically, patients suffer from pain in daily activities that require pinch or grasping objects with their thumb.
Trapeziectomy (surgical removal of trapezoideum bone) is premised on the rationale that pain subsides with the removal of the affected joint surface of trapezium. Although there are several modifications of trapeziectomy procedure, none have proven superior to simple trapeziectomy. Therefore, trapeziectomy is the established, gold standard surgery for patients with thumb basal joint osteoarthritis.
The absence of robust evidence on the efficacy of such a popular surgical procedure is startling. The evidence in support of trapeziectomy consists of few before-after studies and RCTs comparing simple trapeziectomy with its different modifications or arthrodesis. No credible evidence exists on the effect of trapeziectomy.
FINTASY-trial aims to fill this evidence void by studying the efficacy of trapeziectomy in the treatment of thumb basal joint osteoarthritis using placebo-surgery as a comparator.
What is the study design?
FINTASY is the first-ever randomized, placebo-surgery controlled trial assessing the efficacy of trapeziectomy in painful osteoarthritis of thumb joint. We will use Patient Rated Wrist and Hand Questionnaire (PRWHE), a validated outcome instrument for the assessment of wrist and hand pain and function in daily activities, as our primary outcome measure.
