SCOOTT Surgery Versus Conservative OsteoArthrititis of Thumb Trial - SCOOTT Trial Overview

Description

The presentation discusses the SCOOTT Trial, led by a hand and wrist surgeon from Middlesbrough, aiming to evaluate treatment options for symptomatic base of thumb arthritis. The trial aims to determine whether surgical options—trapeziectomy or thumb CMC joint replacement—are superior to enhanced non-surgical management. The talk highlights the growing adoption of thumb-based replacements in UK practice, the lack of high-quality comparative evidence on surgical versus non-surgical methods, and the timing for the study's initiation, prompted by a 2022 commission call for research in this area.



The trial is structured as a multicenter, randomized, three-arm study involving 656 participants across 13 NHS sites, examining both surgical and non-surgical interventions. Inclusion criteria specify adult patients with symptomatic arthritis who may benefit from surgery, while exclusions include previous infections or surgeries on the thumb. The presenter emphasizes the collaborative effort behind creating a new non-operative intervention management pathway based on prior studies, aiming to generate robust evidence in the evolving landscape of hand surgery. The recruitment phase will begin in autumn 2024, followed by an internal pilot and subsequent recruitment and follow-ups.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-251065

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