Effectiveness of Intra-articular Oxygen-ozone Injections and Splinting for the Treatment of Thumb Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of trapezio-metacarpal joint (TMJ) most commonly occurs in women over 50 years old, often bilateral and it is a disabling condition presenting with pain at base of the thumb, swelling, instability, deformity and impairment of hand function with limitation in gripping and pinching objects. There are several surgical treatment options for TMJO as well as many conservative treatments such as splinting, thumb strengthening exercises, anti-inflammatory drugs and intra-articular injections. There are no currently approved TMJO treatments capable of slowing OA-related structural progression, so the main goals of the conservative treatment are to provide symptomatic relief, improve joint function, and delay surgical intervention. In recent years, the interest in the use of ozone is in constant increase especially because of the biological properties of inducing analgesia, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Some articles have reported promising results on the effectiveness of oxygen-ozone, but the evidence is low. So, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-articular oxygen-ozone therapy (OOT) combined with thumb splint and compare it with only the splint therapy.