Grants We Funded

Abstract
Thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis is a disease of aging occurring in the 5th to 7th decade of life. It is symptomatic in up to 20% of people over the age of 50 years and results in significant physical disability and deterioration of hand function. The age group affected by thumb CMC arthritis represents the fastest growing segment of the US population projected to double current estimates to 112 million by 2050. Healthcare resource utilization for thumb CMC arthritis is likely to increase significantly. Clinicians have several options when considering non-surgical or surgical treatment for thumb CMC arthritis and review of published literature suggests that there are variations in the patterns of treatment. Accounts published in literature are however limited to the experience of contributing physicians and may not reflect how variations are manifest at the population level. We propose conducting a population level study to evaluate the variations in treatment of thumb CMC arthritis nationally. We hypothesize that patient factors such as co-morbidity, age, gender and health system factors, such as health coverage plan type and health provider type, play a role in determining variations in patterns of non-surgical and surgical treatment at the national level. We will use a national claims database to accomplish our 3 study aims: (1) To evaluate variations in utilization of surgical and non-surgical treatments. (2) Describe trends in the choice between 8 surgical techniques used to treat thumb CMC arthritis and (3) Perform a cost-analysis of surgical and non-surgical treatment for thumb CMC arthritis. Our study will establish the groundwork for cost-utility studies comparing different techniques of surgical treatment as current evidence does not support the superiority of any particular technique. Furthermore, we believe this will provide impetus for high level evidence studies to establish evidence-based approach for treatment of thumb CMC arthritis.

Biography
Oluseyi Aliu, MD is a plastic surgery trainee at the University of Michigan. He received his undergraduate education at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry and molecular biology and his graduate training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. During a year in medical school in Houston, he worked on mineral metabolism and calcium deficiency rickets in Nigerian children at the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children's Nutrition Research Center at Texas Children's Hospital. Dr. Aliu is currently a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar at the University of Michigan where he is obtaining a Master’s of Science degree in health and healthcare research. Dr. Aliu research interests include studying the adoption of surgical techniques and treatments in plastic surgery practice and how this is influenced by scientific evidence and healthcare market factors such as payer policies and studying the effects of the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) provisions of the Affordable Care Act of 2010 on surgeons and surgical practice.