Long-term outcomes of bioabsorbable polylactide scaffold-based versus conventional arthroplasty for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis

Introduction: With rapid advancements in hand surgery, new approaches for treating trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis are continuously evaluated. RegJoint™ is a bioabsorbable polylactide scaffold for scaphometacarpal interposition after trapeziectomy. However, the long-term outcomes of arthroplasty with bioabsorbable polylactide scaffolds compared to conventional arthroplasty techniques remain uncertain. Materials and methods: A comprehensive clinical and radiological evaluation was conducted on 18 patients, with a mean follow-up duration of 45.5 months. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the EQ-5D, DASH, and SF-36 questionnaires. The clinical assessment encompassed measurements of range of motion, opposition, first-ray length, key-pinch and grip strength. Results: The two groups showed comparable results with respect to the EQ-5D, DASH, SF-36, and clinical assessments. Conclusions: Arthroplasty with bioabsorbable polylactide scaffolds and conventional arthroplasty techniques demonstrate comparable long-term outcomes in this small cohort study, and neither approach showed a clear advantage over the other. Given these findings, no definitive recommendation can be made between the different techniques. However, the RegJoint™ approach avoids the need for a second donor site, preserves native tissue, and lowers the risk of donor-site infection, indicating a favorable tendency toward its use. Further investigation into its potential benefits, including cost-effectiveness and procedural efficiency relative to implant-based joint replacement, is warranted.