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Objective: Surgical denervation has been proposed as a treatment for pain in hand osteoarthritis (OA). This review aimed to summarise the available evidence and to propose a research agenda., Methods: A systematic literature search was performed up to September 2022. Two investigators independently identified studies that reported on denervation for OA of the proximal interphalangeal, distal interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal or carpometacarpal joints. Quality of studies was assessed and study characteristics, patient characteristics, details of the surgical technique and outcomes of the surgery were extracted., Results: Of 169 references, 17 articles reporting on 384 denervations in 351 patients were selected. Sixteen case series reported positive outcomes with respect to pain, function and patient satisfaction. One non-randomised clinical trial reported no difference in outcome when comparing denervation of the first carpometacarpal (CMC I) joint to trapeziectomy. Adverse events were frequent, with sensory abnormalities occurring the most, followed by the need for revision surgery. All studies had significant risk of bias., Conclusion: Surgical denervation for pain in hand OA shows some promise, but the available evidence does not allow any conclusions of efficacy and higher-quality research is needed. Techniques should be harmonised and more data regarding how denervation compares to current usual care, other denervation methods or placebo in terms of outcomes and adverse events are needed., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MK reports the following, all outside the current study: Grants from IMI-APPROACH and the Dutch Arthritis Society, paid to the institution. Royalties or licences from Wolters Kluwer and Springer Verlag, paid to the institution. Fees for consulting/advisory boards by Abbvie, Kiniksa, Galapagos, CHDR, Novartis, UCB, all paid to the institution. Payment or honoraria for lectures or presentations from Galapagos and Jansen, paid to the institution. Roles on the OARSI board (member), EULAR council (member advocacy committee EULAR) and presidency of the Dutch Society for Rheumatology. For the current study, MK reports funding from SKMS, paid to the institution., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

To update the evidence on efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical interventions for hand osteoarthritis (OA), a systematic literature review was performed up to June 2017, including (randomised) controlled trials or Cochrane systematic reviews. Main efficacy outcomes were pain, function and hand strength. Risk of bias was assessed. Meta-analysis was performed when advisable. Of 7036 records, 127 references were included, of which 50 studies concerned non-pharmacological, 64 pharmacological and 12 surgical interventions. Many studies had high risk of bias, mainly due to inadequate randomisation or blinding. Beneficial non-pharmacological treatments included hand exercise and prolonged thumb base splinting, while single trials showed positive results for joint protection and using assistive devices. Topical and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) proved equally effective, while topical NSAIDs led to less adverse events. Single trials demonstrated positive results for chondroitin sulfate and intra-articular glucocorticoid injections in interphalangeal joints. Pharmacological treatments for which no clear beneficial effect was shown include paracetamol, intra-articular thumb base injections of glucocorticoids or hyaluronic acid, low-dose oral glucocorticoids, hydroxychloroquine and anti-tumour necrosis factor. No trials compared surgery to sham or non-operative treatment. No surgical intervention for thumb base OA appeared more effective than another, although in general more complex procedures led to more complications. No interventions slowed radiographic progression. In conclusion, an overview of the evidence on efficacy and safety of treatment options for hand OA was presented and informed the task force for the updated European League Against Rheumatism management recommendations for hand OA., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MK has received consultancy fees/fee as local investigator of industry driven trials from Abbvie, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Levicept (all through institution), and has received research funding (through the institution) from Pfizer and APPROACH-IMI. LC has received research funding (through the institution) from Pharmaceutical laboratories (AbbVie Spain, Bristol Myers & Squibb, Celgene, Eisai Farmacéutica, Gebro Pharma, Grünenthal Pharma, LEO Pharma, Merck Sharp & Dohme España, Novartis Farmaceutica, Pfizer, Roche Farma, Sanofi Aventis, UCB Pharma), Scientific societies (Academia de Dermatología y Venereología, Asociación Emeritense de Reumatología, Eular, Italian Society of Rheumatology, Sociedad Castellano-Manchega, SORCOM, SEDISA, SEIO, Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica, SERPE, Societat Catalana de Reumatología), Contract Research organisations (Scientia Salus, Continuing Medical Communication, Mediaevents AA, Congresos Eventos y Azafatas, Meed Comunicación, Proyectos Incentivos y Congresos), Research groups and Foundations (AIRE-MB, FISABIO, Fundació Parc Taulí, Fundación Asturcor, Fundación Clínic, Fundación de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears, Fundación Española de Reumatología, Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Investigación de Málaga en Biomedicina y Salud, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Reumacare), Individual researchers (Dr Ramón Mazzuchelli, Dr Xavier Juanola, Dra Afnan Abdelkader), and is director of Instituto de Salud Musculoesquelética.

This paper presents an atlas for the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) thumb base osteoarthritis MRI scoring system (TOMS). The atlas includes reference images of each grade of each feature that is assessed in TOMS (synovitis grade 0-3, subchondral bone defects grade 0-3, osteophytes grade 0-3, cartilage assessment grade 0-3, subluxation and bone marrow lesions grade 0-3) in the first carpometacarpal and scapho-trapezio-trapezoid joint. The presented reference images can be used to guide scoring of thumb base MRIs in patients with hand osteoarthritis according to the OMERACT TOMS., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.