Comparison of Postoperative Occupational Therapy and Narcotic Use in Two Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty Approaches

Abstract

he thumb carpometacarpal joint is commonly affected by osteoarthritis, with a radiographic prevalence of 7 percent in men and 15 percent in women, 1 increasing with age to an 85 percent overall prevalence between 71 and 80 years of age. 2 Complaints with symptomatic thumb carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis include pain with activities involving thumb opposition or pinch and grip. 3 Initial nonoperative treatments, such as orthoses and intraarticular steroid injections, may provide some benefit. 4 Surgical treatment options in cases refractory to nonoperative management include arthroscopic

Discussion: Comparison of Postoperative Occupational Therapy and Narcotic Use in Two Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty Approaches

“…T wo issues bear further discussion in this issue's article by Sarac et al 1 The first is the difficulty in drawing conclusions from a nonprospective, nonrandomized cohort study. The second is the prescribing of opioids in routine outpatient hand surgery.…”