Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent, degenerative disease that affects the bone and soft tissue structures of the joint. The basal thumb joint is a common site of OA and is the most important joint in the thumb. Thumb OA causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. Inflammation is recognized as an important aspect of OA, contributing to disease pathogenesis and symptoms. Blood vessel growth in the joint lining, known as the synovium, has also been associated with inflammation. Ultrasound (US) imaging provides joint visualization and Doppler US technologies can detect and visualize blood flow which indicates active joint inflammation. Despite the ability to visualize the vasculature within the synovium with Doppler technologies, its function and the role it plays in disease progression are not well understood in thumb OA. Physical therapy programs for thumb OA have shown improved patient pain and function, and changes in Doppler ultrasound signal in rheumatoid arthritis. This paper investigates synovial blood flow changes with exercise in thumb OA patients using three-dimensional (3D) US with Doppler technologies. Ten thumb OA patients were imaged with 3D US before and after resistance thumb exercises. Synovial volumes and synovial Doppler signals were determined and quantified. Changes in synovial blood flow measures with exercise were investigated to evaluate the role of synovial blood flow and the effect of exercise on the vasculature. This work aims to improve the understanding of synovial microvasculature in thumb OA.
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