High baseline pain is associated with treatment adherence in persons diagnosed with thumb base osteoarthritis: An observational study

•High baseline pain was associated with better adherence over 12 weeks in participants with thumb base osteoarthritis (OA).•Baseline function was not associated with adherence over the same period.•Strategies to improve adherence should be targeted to those reporting lower baseline pain as they may be less likely to adhere.•Future research should evaluate the validity and reliability of adherence measures for thumb base OA interventions.