Subluxation of the first carpometacarpal joint and age are important factors in reduced hand strength in patients with hand osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the determinants of hand strength in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA).

METHOD: Pinch and cylinder grip strength were measured in 527 patients with hand OA diagnosed by their treating rheumatologist from the Hand OSTeoArthritis in Secondary care (HOSTAS) study. Radiographs of hands (22 joints) were scored 0-3 (scaphotrapeziotrapezoid and first interphalangeal joints 0-1) on osteophytes and joint space narrowing following the Osteoarthritis Research Society International atlas. The first carpometacarpal joint (CMC1) was scored 0-1 for subluxation. Pain was assessed with the Australian/Canadian Hand Osteoarthritis Index pain subscale, and health-related quality of life with the Short Form-36. Regression analysis served to investigate associations of hand strength with patient, disease, and radiographic features.

RESULTS: Hand strength was negatively associated with female sex, age, and pain. Reduced hand strength was associated with reduced quality of life, although less after adjusting for pain. Radiographic features of hand OA were associated with reduced grip strength when solely adjusted for sex and body mass index, but only CMC1 subluxation in the dominant hand remained significantly associated with pinch grip adjusted additionally for age (-0.511 kg, 95% confidence interval -0.975; -0.046). Mediation analysis showed low and not significant percentages of mediation of hand OA in the association between age and grip strength.

CONCLUSIONS: Subluxation of CMC1 is associated with reduced grip strength, whereas associations with other radiographic features seem to be confounded by age. In the relationship between age and hand strength, radiographic hand OA severity is not an important mediator.