ABSTRACT
Context: Repetitive joint use is a risk factor for osteoarthritis, which is a leading cause of disability. Sports requiring a bat or racket to perform repetitive high-velocity impacts may increase the risk of thumb-base osteoarthritis. However, this hypothesis remains untested.
Objective: To determine if a history of participation in racket or bat sports is associated with the prevalence of thumb-base osteoarthritis.
Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.
Setting: Osteoarthritis Initiative. Four clinical sites in the United States.
Participants: We included men and women from the recruited from the community. Eligible participants had dominant hand radiographic readings, hand symptom assessments, and historical physical activity survey data.
Main Outcome Measures: A history of exposure to racket or bat sports (baseball/softball, racquetball/squash, badminton, table tennis, tennis [doubles/singles]) was based on self-reported recall data covering 3 age ranges (12–18 years, 19–34 years, 35–49 years). Prevalent radiographic thumb-base osteoarthritis was defined as someone with Kellgren-Lawrence grade≥2 in the first carpometacarpal joint or scaphotrapezoidal joint at the OAI baseline visit. Symptomatic thumb-base osteoarthritis was defined as the presence of radiographic osteoarthritis and hand/finger symptoms.
Results: In total, we included 2309 participants. Among 1049 men, 355 (34%) and 56 (5%) had radiographic or symptomatic thumb-base osteoarthritis, respectively; and among 1260 women, 535 (42%) and 170 (13%), respectively. After adjusting for age, race, and education level, we found no statistically significant associations between a history of any racket or bat sport participation and thumb-base osteoarthritis (radiographic or symptomatic; odds ratios range from 0.82 to 1.34).
Conclusions: Within a community-based cohort, a self-reported history of participation in racket or bat sports was not associated with an increased odds of having radiographic or symptomatic thumb-base osteoarthritis in the dominant hand.