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Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®
Published in: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® 12/2014

01-12-2014 | Society Awards

The 2014 ABJS Nicolas Andry Award: The Puzzle of the Thumb: Mobility, Stability, and Demands in Opposition

Authors: Amy L. Ladd, MD, Joseph J. Crisco, PhD, Elisabet Hagert, MD, PhD, Jessica Rose, PhD, Arnold-Peter C. Weiss, MD

Published in: Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® | Issue 12/2014

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Abstract

Background

The paradoxical demands of stability and mobility reflect the purpose and function of the human thumb. Its functional importance is underscored when a thumb is congenitally absent, injured, or afflicted with degenerative arthritis. Prevailing literature and teaching implicate the unique shape of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, as well as its ligament support, applied forces, and repetitive motion, as culprits causing osteoarthritis (OA). Sex, ethnicity, and occupation may predispose individuals to OA.

Questions/purposes

What evidence links ligament structure, forces, and motion to progressive CMC disease? Specifically: (1) Do unique attributes of the bony and ligamentous anatomy contribute to OA? (2) Can discrete joint load patterns be established that contribute to OA? And (3) can thumb motion that characterizes OA be measured at the fine and gross level?

Methods

We addressed the morphology, load, and movement of the human thumb, emphasizing the CMC joint in normal and arthritic states. We present comparative anatomy, gross dissections, microscopic analysis, multimodal imaging, and live-subject kinematic studies to support or challenge the current understanding of the thumb CMC joint and its predisposition to disease.

Results

The current evidence suggests structural differences and loading characteristics predispose the thumb CMC to joint degeneration, especially related to volar or central wear. The patterns of degeneration, however, are not consistently identified, suggesting influences beyond inherent anatomy, repetitive load, and abnormal motion.

Conclusions

Additional studies to define patterns of normal use and wear will provide data to better characterize CMC OA and opportunities for tailored treatment, including prevention, delay of progression, and joint arthroplasty.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
The 2014 ABJS Nicolas Andry Award: The Puzzle of the Thumb: Mobility, Stability, and Demands in Opposition
Authors
Amy L. Ladd, MD
Joseph J. Crisco, PhD
Elisabet Hagert, MD, PhD
Jessica Rose, PhD
Arnold-Peter C. Weiss, MD
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® / Issue 12/2014
Print ISSN: 0009-921X
Electronic ISSN: 1528-1132
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-014-3901-6

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