Thumb Muscle Activation During Different Activities of Daily Living in Thumb Base Osteoarthritis and Healthy Controls

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.