Baseline characteristics in 80 patients with hand osteoarthritis (HOA) randomised to both information and hand exercises (exercise group) or information only (control group), reported as number and proportions, mean values and SDs, or median and range
| All patients (n=80) | Exercise group (n=40) | Control group (n=40) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 60.8 (7.0) | 60.6 (7.9) | 60.9 (6.2) |
| Education>12 years | 40 (50) | 20 (50) | 20 (50) |
| Living alone | 20 (25) | 12 (30) | 8 (20) |
| Still working | 50 (63) | 24 (60) | 26 (65) |
| Right hand dominant | 73 (91) | 34 (85) | 39 (98) |
| Symptom duration, years | 10.0 (0, 40) | 10.0 (1, 40) | 9.0 (0, 37) |
| Disease duration, years | 2.0 (0, 21) | 2.0 (0, 21) | 1.5 (0, 16) |
| Comorbidity | 32 (40) | 18 (45) | 14 (35) |
| CMC1-OA right hand (grade ≥2)* | 28 (35) | 14 (35) | 14 (35) |
| CMC1-OA left hand* | 30 (38) | 15 (38) | 15 (38) |
| Disease activity† | 5.1 (1.9) | 5.2 (1.6) | 5.0 (2.1) |
| Fatigue† | 6.0 (0, 10) | 6.0 (0, 9) | 6.0 (0, 10) |
| General pain† | 5.0 (0, 9) | 5.0 (2, 8) | 4.5 (0, 9) |
| General stiffness† | 6.0 (1, 9) | 6.0 (3, 9) | 5.0 (1, 9) |
| No. of patients with erosive HOA‡ | 40 (50) | 19 (48) | 21 (53) |
| No. of patients with nodal HOA§ | 75 (94) | 40 (100) | 35 (88) |
| No. of joints with bony enlargement (0–9) | |||
| Right hand | 4 (0, 9) | 4 (0, 8) | 4 (0, 9) |
| Left hand | 3 (0, 9) | 4 (0, 8) | 3 (0, 9) |
| No. of painful joints (0–15) | |||
| Right hand | 6.6 (3.3) | 6.7 (3.4) | 6.5 (3.4) |
| Left hand | 6.4 (3.2) | 6.4 (3.3) | 6.5 (3.2) |
| Maximum grip strength (N) | |||
| Right hand | 150.5 (72.0) | 157.9 (75.6) | 143.2 (68.4) |
| Left hand | 142.9 (62.9) | 149.3 (68.7) | 136.5 (56.6) |
| Pain after measuring grip strength† | |||
| Right hand | 4.0 (0, 9) | 4.0 (0, 9) | 4.0 (0, 9) |
| Left hand | 4.0 (0, 9) | 5.0 (0, 9) | 4.0 (0, 8) |
| Total flexion deficit 2–5 digits (mm) | |||
| Right hand | 0.0 (0, 112) | 0.0 (0, 112) | 0.0 (0, 67) |
| Left hand | 0.0 (0, 190) | 0.0 (0, 190) | 0.0 (0, 91) |
| Thumb opposition deficit (mm) | |||
| Right hand | 0.0 (0, 42) | 0.0 (0, 42) | 0.0 (0, 40) |
| Left hand | 0.0 (0, 30) | 0.0 (0, 30) | 0.0 (0, 24) |
| Thumb web space (1–12, 12=normal web space) | |||
| Right hand | 6.0 (3, 10) | 6.0 (4, 9) | 6.0 (3, 10) |
| Left hand | 6.0 (3, 11) | 6.5 (4, 11) | 6.0 (3, 10) |
| Patient-Specific Functional Scale (0–10, 10=no activity limitations) | 3.8 (1.4) | 3.6 (1.3) | 3.9 (1.5) |
| Functional Index for HOA (0–30, 0=no activity limitations) | 11.0 (2, 21) | 11 (4, 21) | 10 (2, 20) |
| Medication | |||
| Analgesics, yes | 33 (42) | 23 (29) | 11 (28) |
| NSAIDs, yes | 7 (9) | 4 (10) | 3 (8) |
| Cortisone, yes | 2 (3) | 1 (3) | 1 (3) |
| Glucosamine, yes | 6 (8) | 5 (13) | 1 (3) |
| Other (vitamins, omega), yes | 5 (6) | 1 (3) | 4 (10) |
*Kellgren–Lawrence method, grades from 0 to 4, grade ≥2=CMC1 osteoarthritis.
†Scored on Numeric Rating Scales, ranging from 0 to10, with 0=low levels of disease activity, fatigue, pain or stiffness.
‡Erosive HOA, one or more joints with erosions=erosive osteoarthritis (as defined by the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) atlas).
§Nodal HOA, one or more joints with nodules=nodal osteoarthritis.