Playing-related musculoskeletal disorders and movement of the thumb carpometacarpal joint in pianists

Abstract

 Piano performance requires delicate and quick hand movements. Therefore, in patients with hand injuries, occupational therapy is required for maximal improvement of the dexterity of the hands and fingers. Furthermore, it is necessary to support the player until a satisfactory quality of performance is restored and concerns about recurrence are eliminated. The focus of this report is disease of the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CM joint), which is common among pianists. In this article, we report a case of a pianist who underwent abduction osteotomy of the thumb CM joint, along with the progress of her occupational therapy.