title: Bony findings detected by MRI may reflect the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis with thumb carpometacarpal joint pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common skeletal disease worldwide. Although thumb carpametacarpal joint (CMJ) OA is also frequently encountered, the etiologies remain largely unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 20 patients who had thumb CMJ OA with accompanying joint pain and categorized a total of 37 thumbs according to the Eaton and Littler staging system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with advanced OA, bone alterations as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were observed in almost all of the painful joints. The frequency of bone alterations in the thumb CMJ increased with OA severity. In contrast, MRI revealed no bone alterations in thumbs with no pain and less pain in bilateral thumb basal pain, even in radiographically advanced OA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While the incidence of bone cysts in the CMJ was higher with OA staging, OA severity had no apparent correlation with pain. Thus, it is possible that the cause of thumb CMJ pain in advanced OA is bone alterations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Center of Osteoporosis and Spinal Disorders, Kamimura Orthopaedic Clinic, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mukaiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001845:Bone Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D052737:Carpometacarpal Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013933:Thumb / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: joint pain; magnetic resonance imaging; osteoarthritis; thumb carpometacarpal joint