THETA

Patients with thumb base osteoarthritis are usually treated with an orthosis and/or exercise therapy. However, the (cost-)effectiveness of both options is unclear. The THETA study investigates the effect of a combination of an orthosis and exercise therapy compared to an orthosis alone in patients with thumb base osteoarthritis. Specifically, we investigate whether the combination treatment shows greater pain relief and whether there is a difference in the number of patients that still require surgical treatment. Preventing surgical treatment is very valuable, as operative treatment is associated with prolonged recovery, long-term discomfort, and outcomes vary widely – not every patient is satisfied with the treatment results. In addition, surgical treatment is very expensive, and successful nonsurgical treatment may therefore reduce the costs of healthcare.
We investigate this topic in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. We will follow the participants in this study over time, up to a year after the start of treatment. In total, more than 500 patients with basic thumb osteoarthritis will participate in this study.