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CompletedNCT06804356Updated Feb 3, 2025

Poly-L/D-lactide Implant (RegJoint) Versus Tendon Interposition for Trapeziometacarpal Inflammatory Arthritis: a 15-year Follow-up

An interventional study of Tendon interposition arthroplasty and Poly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), sponsored by Helsinki University Central Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Finland. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-02-03.

Sponsored by Helsinki University Central Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 5 years 2 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Oct 2019, registered Jan 2025).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
21
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a late (about 15 years) follow-up study of a randomized prospective clinical study originally conducted as a collaboration of the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola, Finland and Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti Finland.

For the original study thirty-five patients with symptomatic end-stage inflammatory arthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint were recruited. All patients signed written informed consent and were randomised to undergo surgery using either tendon interposition or poly-L-D-lactic acid implant interposition arthroplasty of said joint. The study was approved by the Päijät-Häme hospital district ethics committee.

Results of up to two years of follow-up have been published previously (DOI: 10.3109/2000656X.2012.669202).

For the current study all patients included in the final data analysis of the original study are to be contacted for a late follow-up using the same metrics used in the original study (hand pain and hand function rated on a visual analogue scale, hand strenght measurements, hand range of motion measurements, hand dexterity tests and tests simulating hand function in activities of daily living). Additionally outcomes will be assessed using the Patient Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation and QuickDASH clinical outcome measurement scores.

Collected follow-up data will be statistically analyzed and a summary will be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

02

Conditions studied

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
03

In context

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

2,962 studies on the registry are indexed under Arthritis, Rheumatoid; 396 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 21 is below the median of 94 across 2,027 interventional studies indexed under Arthritis, Rheumatoid.

Browse Arthritis, Rheumatoid studies →

Lead sponsor

Helsinki University Central Hospital is the lead sponsor of 311 studies on the registry; 61 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteriria:

Patients of the study the results of which are reported in the following article: DOI: 10.3109/2000656X.2012.669202

Inclusion criteria for the original study:

  • Symptomatic end- stage inflammatory arthritis of the trapeziometacarpal joint
  • Trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty at Rheumatism Foundation Hospital, Heinola between january 2004 and december 2005
  • Signed written informed consent

Exclusion criteria for the original study:

-age less than 18 years

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
21 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Tendon interposition arthroplasty

    Trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty using autologous tendon interposition to fill the space left by resecting affected joint surfaces.

    Procedure: Tendon interposition arthroplasty

  • Active comparator
    Poly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition arthroplasty

    Trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty using poly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition to fill the space left by resecting affected joint surfaces.

    Procedure: Poly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition arthroplasty

Interventions

  • ProcedureTendon interposition arthroplasty

    Trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty using autologous tendon interposition to fill the space left by resecting affected joint surfaces.

  • ProcedurePoly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition arthroplasty

    Trapeziometacarpal arthroplasty using poly-L-D-lactic acid implant (RegJoint) interposition to fill the space left by resecting affected joint surfaces.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Hand pain

    Pain of the studied / operated hand using a 0-100mm visual analogue scale where 0mm denotes no pain at all and 100mm denotes worst pain imaginable.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  2. Hand function

    Function of the studied / operated hand using a 0-100mm visual analogue scale where 0mm denotes normal hand function and 100mm denotes the hand not functioning at all.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  3. Hand grip strength

    Power grip strength (in kg) measured using a jamar hand dynamometer. Key pinch and tip pinch strength (in kg) mearured using a mechanical pinch gauge.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  4. QuickDASH score

    The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) is a clinical outcome measure questionnaire consisting of thirty questions and has been validated several times. The QuickDASH score includes eleven of those questions and has been validated as well. Both scores are used to evaluate upper limb function and symptoms during the previous week.

    Time frame: The previous week before approximately 15 years from enrollment

  5. Hand range of motion

    Active range of motion for following joints / parts of the hand: trapeziometacarpal joint radial abduction, thumb metacarpophalangeal joint extension and flexion, thumb interphalangeal joint extension and flexion.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  6. Box and block dexterity test

    The Box and block dexterity consists of a rectangular box with a central dividing wall. The box is set on a table in front of the patient in a lengthwise orientation with the dividing wall at the patients midline. At the beginning of the test all 150 wooden cubes each 2,5cm are placed in the compartment on the side of the hand being tested. The test performed by moving as many 2,5cm wooden cubes one by one by hand from one box to another within 60 seconds as possible. Before the actual test the patient practices performing the test for 15 seconds with each hand,

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  7. Simulated activities of daily living tests

    Decanting water from a jug gripping the jug by its handle into a glass / cup. Decanting water from a glass / cup into jug gripping the glass with a palm grip. Cutting medical putty disc with knife and fork simulating cutting food on a plate. Picking up a wooden bead approximately 1cm in diameter using a pinch grip. The test is repeated four times for each hand so that the patient always uses their thumb but the opposing finger is different each time. Grading for all tests: Normal grip / adapted grip / unable to perform.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  8. Radiological results

    Trapeziometacarpal joint (sub)luxation, joint trapeziometacarpal joint space height and bone destruction adjacent to the trapeziometarcpal joint using posterior to anteriot as well as lateral plain radiographs.

    Time frame: Approximately 15 years from enrollment

  9. Patient Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation clinical outcome measure

    The Patient-Rated Wrist and Hand Evaluation questionnaire is a region specific, patient reported outcome measure that aims to evaluate pain and disability of the wrist and hand. In one question the patient is asked about their hand / wrist today, while in fifteen questions the patient is asked about their hand / wrist this week. The score has been validated multiple times.

    Time frame: The previous week before approximately 15 years from enrollment

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Helsinki University Central Hospital
    Helsinki, 00270, Finland
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Tiihonen RP, Skytta ET, Kaarela K, Ikavalko M, Belt EA. Reconstruction of the trapeziometacarpal joint in inflammatory joint disease using interposition of autologous tendon or poly-L-D-lactic acid implants: a prospective clinical trial. J Plast Surg Hand Surg. 2012 Apr;46(2):113-9. doi: 10.3109/2000656X.2012.669202. PubMed 22471260 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — At present we have no plan to share IPD as local legislature and the study protocol do not allow us to do so. If other researchers were to ask us to share IPD, we would be happy to apply permission to do so from our institution.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Oct 2019 to primary completion in Apr 2020, 5 months.

Of 262 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Arthritis, Rheumatoid, half reached primary completion within 24 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 11 and three quarters within 40. This study's 5 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 301 studies reached it within 26 months; a quarter within 12 and three quarters within 45.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Jan 7, 2025
First posted
Feb 3, 2025
StartActual
Oct 9, 2019
Primary completionActual
Apr 2, 2020
CompletionActual
Apr 2, 2020
Last update
Feb 3, 2025
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 3, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06804356
Responsible party
Thomas Mikael Hackenberg (Doctoral student, Helsinki University Central Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Feb 3, 2025
Start date
Oct 9, 2019
Primary completion
Apr 2, 2020
Completion
Apr 2, 2020
Last update
Feb 3, 2025

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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