Published online Jul 12, 2015. doi: 10.5499/wjr.v5.i2.90
Peer-review started: June 29, 2014
First decision: November 27, 2014
Revised: December 5, 2014
Accepted: March 16, 2015
Article in press: March 18, 2015
Published online: July 12, 2015
Processing time: 374 Days and 15.4 Hours
Trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint is the secondly affected joint for osteoarthritis in the hand. TMC joint arthritis affects most commonly postmenopausal women after the fifth decade of life, due to hormonal and structural factors. Rhizarthrosis may lead to a clinical spectrum from subtle symptoms to advanced symptoms such as; severe pain, limitation of range of motion, muscular weakness, bony deformities, and end up ultimately with disability. Regardless of the etiopathogenesis; a variety of non-surgical and surgical methods have been used for the treatment of rhizarthrosis, depending on the age of the patient, symptomatology and the stage of the disease. The main goals of the treatments are as follows; relief of pain, conservation or restoration the stability and mobility of the TMC joint with the optimal preservation of the strength of surrounding musculature. In this article, the current methods, which have been used for the treatment of TMC joint osteoarthritis, will be mainly reviewed, together with concise up-to-date information on both its diagnosis and the anatomy of the TMC joint.
Core tip: The trapeziometacarpal joint is a common region in the body, where osteoarthritis is encountered, especially in the postmenopausal women. Although the exact etiology is not still certain, ligamentous laxity is a common finding in most of the cases. Regarding to the existing literature, the most commonly used treatment methods are conservative measures and trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction tendon interposition. Moreover newer treatment methods have emerged in the recent years. In conclusion, if long-term prospective, randomized, comparative studies are performed, there will be an appropriate answer to choose the optimal treatment methods for each stage of rhizarthrosis.