Clinical Trial to Estimate the Efficacy of the Trapezium-Metacarpal (TMC) Prosthesis Compared to Suspensionplasty.

First Carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis (CMC-OA) is a common problem, being the second location of degenerative osteoarthritis in the hand. The pain, weakness, and swelling cause considerable interference in the activities of daily living, especially in activities that involve repetitive fist-clamp movements. The conservative treatment available (pain killers, physiotherapy and splints) do not always manage to achieve complete remission of the symptoms or prevent its recurrence. There are several surgical techniques to treat osteoarthritis of the first CMC. The most common surgical treatments used are prosthetic joint replacement and trapeziectomy. The later can be done as an isolated procedure or associated with tendon interposition, ligament reconstruction or both. The preference for indication for one treatment or another is based on personal experience rather than on the available studies, which are highly heterogeneous. In addition, the direct and indirect costs (those associated with productivity losses as a result of sick leave from the perspective of society) associated with the use of a CMC prosthesis remain unknown, with the shorter recovery time being one of the reasons for its implantation. The main objective of the study is to determine whether the trapeziometacarpal prosthesis is more effective, safe and cost-effective than suspension suspensionplasty. The secondary objective is to evaluate the functional outcome and estimate the indirect costs and the incremental cost-effectiveness and cost-utility (efficiency) ratios of the trapeziometacarpal prosthesis with respect to suspensionplasty as a treatment for osteoarthritis of the basal thumb joint. The primary outcome will be measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes will include Quick-DASH and health-related quality of life measured using the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D) and. In addition, we will collect direct and indirect costs.