Thumb Muscle Activation During Different Activities of Daily Living in Thumb Base Osteoarthritis and Healthy Controls
Key facts
- Where
- Málaga, SpainSee the site
Where in Spain
- Universidad de MálagaMálaga, SpainContact: Carmen Menaya Fernandez, Doctoral StudentNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- University of Malaga
- Trial code
- NCT07866703
- Record updated
- 8 October 2026
- Original description
The aim of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in muscle activation of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and the abductor pollicis longus (APL) between individuals with and without thumb trapeziopometacarpal joint osteoarthritis (OA TMC) during the performance of activities of daily living (ADL).Read full original descriptionShow less
Thumb Muscle Activation During Six Activities of Daily Living in Thumb Base Osteoarthritis and Healthy Controls
The aim of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in muscle activation of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and the abductor pollicis longus (APL) between individuals with and without thumb trapeziopometacarpal joint osteoarthritis (OA TMC) during the performance of activities of daily living (ADL).
The FDI muscle has been identified as a key stabilizer of the thumb TMC joint. However, scientific literature lacks information regarding the activation of the FDI and the APL during ADL, particularly in comparison with healthy individuals. OA TMC can lead to pain, reduced thumb strength, impaired hand function, and difficulty performing ADL. Determining whether differences in muscle activation patterns exist between individuals with and without OA TMC is crucial for understanding how this condition affects hand function and for guiding more specific and effective rehabilitation strategies.
Participants will perform six standardized functional tasks simulating everyday activities: turning a key to open, turning a key to close, picking up a coin, writing, squeezing a tube of toothpaste, and holding a glass of water. Muscle activity will be recorded using surface electromyography (sEMG) during all tasks.
Adults aged 30 years and older, both men and women, with thumb CMC osteoarthritis and healthy controls without osteoarthritis will be invited to participate.
Researchers will measure the activation patterns of the FDI and APL muscles during the ADL, with the aim of identifying differences between both groups and providing evidence to guide the rehabilitation of patients with thumb base osteoarthritis.
Inclusion: Clinical diagnosis of thumb TMC osteoarthritis; Healthy group:Participants with no history of musculoskeletal or neurological disorders affecting the dominant hand were included.
Exclusion: Recent upper limb soft tissue or bone injury (trauma, fracture, or surgery of the arm or neck); History of neuromuscular disease, polyneuropathy, or plexopathy; Systemic diseases such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, or chronic liver or kidney disease; History of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, active anticoagulation therapy, chemotherapy, or exposure to neurotoxins; Presence of numbness, tingling, or other sensory disturbances; Upper limb entrapment neuropathy or cervical radiculopathy.