Oval-8 Splinting Versus Standardized Treatment With Tee Pee or Forearm Based Thumb Spica Splinting

The oval-8 splint has been developed for many uses in finger pathology and trauma. It has not, however, been used to treat thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint arthritis. When treating thumb CMC joint osteoarthritis, splinting is a very widely used and supported treatment option for non-operative management. Many studies have been performed showing that thumb spica splinting in abduction with either a hand based or forearm based splint improves pain. This study aims to compare the effects of a novel splinting approach with oval-8 splints for the hyperextended thumb interphalangeal (IP) joint vs. standardized treatment with Tee Pee splinting (hand based thumb spica) or forearm thumb spica splinting on pain and function of patients with thumb CMC joint arthritis. This is a pilot study will address the following hypothesis: Splinting of the hyperextended thumb IP joint with oval-8 splints will lead to increased DASH scores and decreased pain on physical exam compared to splinting with thumb spica splints in patients with thumb CMC arthritis.