Before launching a full-scale randomized controlled trial, it’s often wise to test the waters first. That’s exactly what we did with FINTASY, our surgical trial on trapeziectomy for basal thumb osteoarthritis.
The third and final publication from the FINTASY pilot trial, now available online ahead of print, suggests that trapeziectomy leads to rapid and substantial symptom relief, laying a strong foundation for the main trial’s design and power calculations.
Earlier methodological publications from the pilot laid the groundwork:
- “Minimal important difference and patient acceptable symptom state for the Numerical Rating Scale(NRS) for pain and the Patient-Rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE) for patients with osteoarthritis at the base of thumb” (BMCMedical Research Methodology, 2022) Read here
- “Responsiveness of differentpain measures and recall periods in people undergoing surgery after a period of splinting for basal thumb joint osteoarthritis” (BMCMedical Research Methodology, 2022)
Read here
Together, these three publications complete the pilot project, moving from methodology to design and to clinical results.
The results were also presented as a poster at the FESSH 2025 Congress in Helsinki, where the trajectory of recovery was clearly illustrated: orthosis treatment alone provided no meaningful relief, while trapeziectomy led to a large and clinically important improvement by 3 months, with continued gains up to 6 months.
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Mini Interview with the Lead Investigators Kati Jaatinen, Jarkko Jokihaara and Teemu Karjalainen
Q: Why did you feel this pilot study was necessary?
A: We needed reliable data on symptom resolution over time to properly design the FINTASY trial, especially to estimate a conservative effect size for our power analysis.
Q: What surprised you most in the pilot study results?
A: The magnitude and speed of improvement after trapeziectomy were more dramatic than we expected. While we’re cautious not to over interpret pilot data, the results were encouraging.
Q: How did this pilot shape the main FINTASY trial?
A: It helped us define realistic timelines for follow-up and select the most appropriate outcome measures. It also reassured us that patients undergoing surgery tend to improve quickly which is something we need to account for when interpreting results.
Q: What’s the status of the FINTASY trial today?
A: Recruitment started in February 2022 and is progressing steadily. Despite a delayed start due to COVID-19, we’ve maintained good momentum, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.
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