A Study of Hyaluronan for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in the Thumb

Hyaluronan is a man-made preparation of a protein complex that occurs naturally in joints and that is often low in people with osteoarthritis. Although hyaluronan has been used in millions of people with knee osteoarthritis, it is not yet FDA approved for use in the thumb. The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of hyaluronan in relieving arthritis symptoms at the base of the thumb and to compare it to corticosteroids and local anesthetic. The principle hypothesis is that treating osteoarthritis at the carpometacarpophalangeal (CMC) joint with injectable hyaluronan will results in greater pain relief, higher patient satisfaction, and better functional outcomes than treating with placebo injections (local anesthetic) or with corticosteroid injections. Treating CMC osteoarthritis with corticosteroid injections will result in greater pain relief, higher patient satisfaction, and better functional outcomes than treating with placebo injections. Patients with worse pre-treatment function will have less improvement and worse post-treatment results after administration of corticosteroid or hyaluronan.