Efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatments for hand osteoarthritis in 2024: a systematic review
Authors' conclusion
The results largely support current treatment recommendations. However, there is a lack of interventions that efficiently improve grip strength, and the evidence for most current treatments is still limited.
Study context
- Population
- RCTs of treatments for hand osteoarthritis (OA), June 2017 to 31 December 202365 new studies
- Comparison
- Non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatments for hand OA
- Outcome
- Efficacy for pain, function, grip strength and OMERACT/OARSI responders
Methodological detailsupdate of 2018 systematic literature review, RoB2 risk of bias, GRADE certainty of evidence
- Update of 2018 systematic literature review
- RoB2 risk of bias
- GRADE certainty of evidence
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
- Hand exercises: small long-term effect on pain (low certainty)
- Thumb orthoses: moderate long-term effect on pain (low certainty)
- Assistive devices: moderate long-term effect on function (moderate certainty)
- Oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): moderate short-term effect on pain (low certainty)
- Topical NSAIDs and oral GC: small short-term effect on function (high and moderate certainty, respectively)
- Oral GC: small short-term effect on function (low certainty)
- MTX: small long-term effect on pain (low certainty)
- Surgery: heterogeneity of studies did not allow meta-analyses
Original publication
Efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical treatments for hand osteoarthritis in 2024: a systematic review. RMD Open. Published 9 January 2025. doi:10.
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