Normal Cartilage Thickness and Osteoarthritic Wear Patterns of the Human CMC Joint

Cartilage thickness maps of the trapezium and metacarpal of the human thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint were determined from 51 hands. Specimens were divided into 3 groups based on visual staging of the articular cartilage surfaces for osteoarthritis (OA), and average thickness maps were created for both surfaces within each group. Statistical analyses demonstrated that in advanced OA, cartilage on the trapezium thins on the volar and dorso-radial regions, while the metacarpal exhibits thinning on its volar aspect.