Background: Prior studies suggest steroid injections may affect infection rates following thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) arthroplasty. However, it is unclear whether injections prior to CMCJ arthroplasty affect functional outcomes, primarily Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (qDASH).
Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who underwent thumb CMCJ arthroplasty from 2015 to 2019. Patients who had qDASH scores reported preoperatively, and at 5 and 11 months postoperatively were included. Charts were reviewed for the presence or absence of prior corticosteroid injection to the CMCJ and complications. Delta qDASH was calculated by subtracting the patients' postoperative qDASH scores from the preoperative qDASH scores.
Results: In all, 350 CMCJ arthroplasty patients were identified, 177 who had received at least 1 steroid injection and 173 who were steroid-naïve. No significant differences existed in delta qDASH scores postoperatively between the injection and naïve groups at 5 months (28.5 vs 28.6) or 11 months (31.2 vs 31.9). Whereas there were no significant differences in rates of major complications between the 2 groups, minor complications were higher in the injection group (16.4% vs 9.2%). Patients who received more than 3 injections did not have worse 5-month or 11-month delta qDASH scores or complication rates than those with fewer than 3.
Conclusions: Preoperative CMCJ steroid injection status does not affect major complication rates or functional outcomes following CMCJ arthroplasty. However, injections increase the rate of minor complications. The qDASH and complication rates following CMCJ arthroplasty are not affected by receiving greater than 3 injections preoperatively.
Keywords: arthritis; arthroplasty; carpometacarpal joint; corticosteroid injection; diagnosis; postoperative complication; thumb arthritis.