Thumb Carpometacarpal OsteoarthritisPhase 2NCT05247398
Mechanisms of a Dynamic Stability Approach
A Phase 2 study testing Dynamic Stability Exercise Program in people with Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis and Thumb Basal Joint Osteoarthritis, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Background. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand affects an estimated 25.6 US residents. OA of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is the most disabling form of hand OA. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis, Thumb Basal Joint Osteoarthritis
- What is being tested?
- Dynamic Stability Exercise Program
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 21 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 18 Jul 2022to 30 Jun 2024
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- adults with radiographically-confirmed thumb CMC OA
Who cannot join
- Persons who have had cortisone treatments to the affected thumb within the prior three months, thumb CMC joint replacement, inflammatory arthritis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Marfan's disease, pregnancy or questionable pregnancy, cognitive disorders which would preclude a client from following the testing commands and home program participation, concomitant conditions affecting the arthritic thumb, grade 4 arthritis staging, no ongoing hand rehabilitation (i.e., within prior 6 months), non-English Speaking, and pain which precludes participants from completing testing
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455
About this study
Background. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand affects an estimated 25.6 US residents. OA of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is the most disabling form of hand OA. Rehabilitation for persons with thumb CMC OA is recommended as the initial treatment and often involves instruction on joint protection and fitting of a splint to reduce joint stress and pain. More recently, evidence has suggested that specialized exercise may impact a factor linked to this condition, altered joint mechanics. Health records data also suggests that these exercises reduce pain and disability more than what would be experienced by those receiving standard care (SOC) rehabilitation. However, there has not yet been a prospective investigation on how these dynamic stability (DS) exercises alter joint mechanics, improve function, and reduce pain relative to standard treatment. Relatedly, thumb CMC mechanics are most often assessed by physicians through CAT scan and although rehabilitation therapists are not licensed to conduct such assessments, they could benefit from 'real-time' imaging to inform and evaluate the mechanical effects of treatment. Sonography might afford therapists the precision to evaluate mechanical response to treatment yet it is not yet known if thumb CMC sonography corresponds with the gold standard, CAT scan.
Goal and Specific Aims. The long term goal this line of study is to reduce the effects of thumb CMC OA on activity performance and participation through non-invasive and non- pharmacological interventions. We expect to achieve our goals by pursuit of the following two specific aims: 1). Determine if a novel exercise regimen reduces radiographic thumb CMC joint misalignment among persons with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and 2) Evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound compared with CAT scan (reference standard) for quantifying thumb CMC subluxation
Design and Methods. Specific aim 1 will be addressed through a prospective pre-post interventional study of a 8-week clinic-based dynamic stability program and will undergo a CAT scan before treatment and upon completion of the program (9 weeks) and specific aim 3 will be addressed through a psychometric 'concurrent validity' design.
- Being tested
- Dynamic Stability Exercise Program
- Keywords
- Arthritis, Exercise, Thumb, Treatment, Intervention, Dynamic stability, Hand, Therapy, Occupational, Physical
- Medical subject headings
- Arthritis, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Dynamic Stability Exercise ProgramOther
The thumb CMC DS intervention involves four 60-minute occupational therapy visits as well as a daily home program across a 8-week period. Clinic visits focus primarily on home program coaching, and progression of the exercise regimen. Home programs involve daily exercises which follow the intensity and duration recommended for older adults.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Stability Exercise Program | Experimental | Involves four 60-minute occupational therapy visits as well as a daily home program across a 8-week period. Clinic visits focus primarily on home program coaching, and progression of the exercise regimen. Home programs involve daily exercises which follow the intensity and duration recommended for older adults. The intervention focuses on enhancing mobility and strength of the thumb for use during daily activities. Receives: Other: Dynamic Stability Exercise Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per CAT Scan
CAT scan will be used at baseline and 9 weeks to obtain measurements as per the American College of Radiology's 2013 Technical Standards. A validated positioning jig reproduced by our lab will be used to maintain standardized joint positioning and standardize stress to the thumb metacarpal during fluoroscopic examination. "Joint subluxation" is a measure of thumb CMC instability and will be measured in millimeters.
Measured: baseline
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per CAT Scan
CAT scan will be used at baseline and 9 weeks to obtain measurements as per the American College of Radiology's 2013 Technical Standards. A validated positioning jig reproduced by our lab will be used to maintain standardized joint positioning and standardize stress to the thumb metacarpal during fluoroscopic examination. "Joint subluxation" is a measure of thumb CMC instability and will be measured in millimeters.
Measured: 9 weeks post intervention
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per Sonography
Sonographic assessment of thumb carpometacarpal subluxation will occur at the time of participants' baseline CAT scan. The same views, position jig and standardized upper limb postures used for the fluoroscopic assessments will again be employed. The thumb CMC joint sonographic procedures described by Oo et al. and the general guidelines put forth by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine will be followed. Long axis views of the dorsal and radial borders of the thumb CMC joint will be visualized via use of the Philips Lumify Portable Sonography Device. In these views, the amount of translation of metacarpal base with respect to trapezium will be quantified in millimeters
Measured: baseline
Secondary outcomes (4)
Michigan Hand Questionnaire
Disability was measured with the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), an upper extremity-specific self-report questionnaire assessing symptomology and disability across 6 domains: hand function, activities of daily living, work performance, satisfaction, aesthetics/cosmesis, and pain. Right- and left-hand total and subscale scores are produced. Scores range from 0-100, with higher total scores and scores across the first 5 subscales indicating greater abilities or better results, and lower scores on the last subscale indicating less pain. The MHQ has high reliability, validity, and responsiveness among adults with upper extremity rheumatic conditions including OA. For this study, only the total score of the affected hand was reported. Given the high prevalence of bilateral CMC1 OA, the total score from the dominant hand was selected when bilateral CMC1 OA was present.
Measured: Baseline
Michigan Hand Questionnaire
Disability was measured with the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ), an upper extremity-specific self-report questionnaire assessing symptomology and disability across 213 6 domains: hand function, activities of daily living, work performance, satisfaction, aesthetics/cosmesis, and pain. Right- and left-hand total and subscale scores are produced. Scores range from 0-100, with higher total scores and scores across the first 5 subscales indicating greater abilities or better results, and lower scores on the last subscale indicating less pain. The MHQ has high reliability, validity, and responsiveness among adults with upper extremity rheumatic conditions including OA. For this study, only the total score of the affected 219 hand was reported. Given the high prevalence of bilateral CMC1 OA, the total score from the dominant hand was selected when bilateral CMC1 OA was present.
Measured: 9 weeks
Numerical Pain Rating
Pain severity was measured with a 0-10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), from which participants rated their pain intensity during daily activities over the last 24 hours, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst imaginable pain. The NPRS was selected because it has been established as a clinically relevant tool in persons with various rheumatic diagnoses including CMC1 OA.
Measured: Baseline
Numerical Pain Rating
Pain severity was measured with a 0-10 Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), from which participants rated their pain intensity during daily activities over the last 24 hours, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst imaginable pain. The NPRS was selected because it has been established as a clinically relevant tool in persons with various rheumatic diagnoses including CMC1 OA.
Measured: 9 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Feb 2022
- Study start18 Jul 2022
- Primary completion30 Jun 2024
- Study completion30 Jun 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Thumb Carpometacarpal OsteoarthritisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- prospective pre-postinterventional study
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 21 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Minnesota
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Corey McGee, Principal investigator, UMN
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05247398
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- OT-2021-30466
- Other IDs
- UL1TR002494, KL2TR002492
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 27 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 20 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mechanisms of a Dynamic Stability Approach
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05247398
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OT-2021-30466
- Keywords
- Arthritis, Exercise, Thumb, Treatment, Intervention, Dynamic stability, Hand, Therapy
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 21 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MinnesotaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
- Study start
- 18 Jul 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 20 Nov 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States and osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand affects an estimated 25.6 US residents. OA of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is the most disabling form of hand OA. Rehabilitation for persons with thumb CMC OA is recommended as the initial treatment and often involves instruction on joint protection and fitting of a splint to reduce joint stress and pain. More recently, evidence has suggested that specialized exercise may impact a factor linked to this condition, altered joint mechanics. Health records data also suggests that these exercises reduce pain and disability more than what would be experienced by those receiving standard care (SOC) rehabilitation. However, there has not yet been a prospective investigation on how these dynamic stability (DS) exercises alter joint mechanics, improve function, and reduce pain relative to standard treatment. Relatedly, thumb CMC mechanics are most often assessed by physicians through CAT scan and although rehabilitation therapists are not licensed to conduct such assessments, they could benefit from 'real-time' imaging to inform and evaluate the mechanical effects of treatment. Sonography might afford therapists the precision to evaluate mechanical response to treatment yet it is not yet known if thumb CMC sonography corresponds with the gold standard, CAT scan.
Goal and Specific Aims. The long term goal this line of study is to reduce the effects of thumb CMC OA on activity performance and participation through non-invasive and non- pharmacological interventions. We expect to achieve our goals by pursuit of the following two specific aims: 1). Determine if a novel exercise regimen reduces radiographic thumb CMC joint misalignment among persons with thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis and 2) Evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound compared with CAT scan (reference standard) for quantifying thumb CMC subluxation
Design and Methods. Specific aim 1 will be addressed through a prospective pre-post interventional study of a 8-week clinic-based dynamic stability program and will undergo a CAT scan before treatment and upon completion of the program (9 weeks) and specific aim 3 will be addressed through a psychometric 'concurrent validity' design.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- prospective pre-postinterventional study
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Stability Exercise Program | Experimental | Other: Dynamic Stability Exercise ProgramInvolves four 60-minute occupational therapy visits as well as a daily home program across a 8-week period. Clinic visits focus primarily on home program coaching, and progression of the exercise regimen. Home programs involve daily exercises which follow the intensity and duration recommended for older adults. The intervention focuses on enhancing mobility and strength of the thumb for use during daily activities. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- adults with radiographically-confirmed thumb CMC OA
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Persons who have had cortisone treatments to the affected thumb within the prior three months, thumb CMC joint replacement, inflammatory arthritis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Marfan's disease, pregnancy or questionable pregnancy, cognitive disorders which would preclude a client from following the testing commands and home program participation, concomitant conditions affecting the arthritic thumb, grade 4 arthritis staging, no ongoing hand rehabilitation (i.e., within prior 6 months), non-English Speaking, and pain which precludes participants from completing testing
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Stability Exercise ProgramThe thumb CMC DS intervention involves four 60-minute occupational therapy visits as well as a daily home program across a 8-week period. Clinic visits focus primarily on home program coaching, and progression of the exercise regimen. Home programs involve daily exercises which follow the intensity and duration recommended for older adults. | Other | Dynamic Stability Exercise Program |
Primary outcome
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per CAT Scan
Time frame: baseline
CAT scan will be used at baseline and 9 weeks to obtain measurements as per the American College of Radiology's 2013 Technical Standards. A validated positioning jig reproduced by our lab will be used to maintain standardized joint positioning and standardize stress to the thumb metacarpal during fluoroscopic examination. "Joint subluxation" is a measure of thumb CMC instability and will be measured in millimeters.
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per CAT Scan
Time frame: 9 weeks post intervention
CAT scan will be used at baseline and 9 weeks to obtain measurements as per the American College of Radiology's 2013 Technical Standards. A validated positioning jig reproduced by our lab will be used to maintain standardized joint positioning and standardize stress to the thumb metacarpal during fluoroscopic examination. "Joint subluxation" is a measure of thumb CMC instability and will be measured in millimeters.
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per Sonography
Time frame: baseline
Sonographic assessment of thumb carpometacarpal subluxation will occur at the time of participants' baseline CAT scan. The same views, position jig and standardized upper limb postures used for the fluoroscopic assessments will again be employed. The thumb CMC joint sonographic procedures described by Oo et al. and the general guidelines put forth by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine will be followed. Long axis views of the dorsal and radial borders of the thumb CMC joint will be visualized via use of the Philips Lumify Portable Sonography Device. In these views, the amount of translation of metacarpal base with respect to trapezium will be quantified in millimeters
4 secondary outcomes
Michigan Hand Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline
Michigan Hand Questionnaire
Time frame: 9 weeks
Numerical Pain Rating
Time frame: Baseline
Numerical Pain Rating
Time frame: 9 weeks
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 20 Nov 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Corey McGee principal investigator
UMN
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2 study testing Dynamic Stability Exercise Program in people with Thumb Carpometacarpal Osteoarthritis and Thumb Basal Joint Osteoarthritis, run by University of Minnesota at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 20 Nov 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Subluxation of Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint as Per CAT Scan (time frame: baseline). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 20 Nov 2025.