The trapeziometacarpal joint is commonly afflicted with osteoarthritis (OA). Numerous studies have suggested a close correlation between trapeziometacarpal joint topography and OA, indicating that joint incongruence may be one of the major causes of this disease (eg., Eaton, et al., 1973; Menon, 1983). North et al. (1983) suggested that the trapezium with a shallow articular surface is predisposed to OA. Ateshian et al. (1992) demonstrated that female trapeziometacarpal joints were less congruent than male joints from a small group fo elder joints. Koebke (1983), Menon (1983) and Eaton et al. (1987) all suggested that rotation of the metacarpal, occurring in such hand positions as grip and pinch, may lead to an incongruent contacting position on the dorso-radial and volar-ulnar aspects of the trapezium. These incongruent positions result in a reduction in the contact area and thus an increase of contact stresses. Strong inferences have been made to suggest that sites of focal high-contact stresses are the sites of cartilage degeneration, which eventually lead to trapeziometacarpal joint OA. Indeed, Pellegrini (1991) found that eburnation of the articular surfaces occurs primarily in the volar compartment of the trapeziometacarpal joint.
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