- What is finger osteoarthritis?
- What is the prognosis of osteoarthritis of the fingers?
- What are the symptoms?
- How can it be detected?
- What are the causes?
- Can it be prevented?
- Treatments for osteoarthritis of the fingers
What is osteoarthritis of the fingers?
Finger osteoarthritis is the result of wear and tear of the articular cartilage, a tissue that lines the bones of the fingers and the bones of the palm of the hand.
Cartilage is responsible for cushioning the bones and allowing movement. When the cartilage is lost or damaged, the bones come into direct contact, generating pressure and, therefore, pain. As a natural response, the bone gains more contact surface to distribute the load and preserve functional fingers.
Osteoarthritis of the fingers has no
clear evidence of a cure
The most common forms of arthritis in the hand are osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. This wear and tear can be caused by trauma, fractures affecting the articular surfaces, idiopathic or hereditary causes.
The most frequent areas of occurrence are:
- The distal interphalangeal joint: this is the most frequent area. It is usually hereditary. The joints are enlarged to form Heberden’s nodes.
- The proximal: the deformation of this area is called Bouchard’s nodes.
- Metacarpophalangeal: it usually develops in people who have been doing repetitive work throughout their lives. It is also called Missouri osteoarthritis.
What is the prognosis of osteoarthritis of the fingers?
Finger osteoarthritis, at the moment, has no clear evidence of cure, but the recommended treatments can prevent its progression, pain and inflammation.
What are the symptoms?
Finger osteoarthritis manifests itself in several ways:
- Difficulty in mobilizing the joint.
- Deformation and increase of the volume of the joint.
- Pain when mobilizing the joint.
- Loss of function.
How can it be detected?
The articular cartilage has no blood vessels, therefore, its nutrition and lubrication is provided by the synovial fluid. For this reason, this type of osteoarthritis can be confirmed with an analysis of the joint fluid or an X-ray.
What are the causes?
Osteoarthritis in the fingers forms when there has been a gradual wear and tear of the joint and, therefore, the cartilage has worn out. If the cartilage wears out, the bones rub together and movement becomes stiff and painful.
The root cause is the consequence of genetic and environmental factors, such as repetitive manual labor.
Can it be prevented?
There are no studies showing evidence of prevention in osteoarthritis of the hands. However, it is possible to avoid activities with repetitive movements or to do them with a splint that slows down the evolution.
Workers in confectionery, butchery or professional players of electronic games often suffer from this disease.
Treatments for osteoarthritis of the fingers
There are currently no treatments that can halt the progression of the disease. However, there are treatments to reduce pain, inflammation and improve mobility. Pain can be reduced with analgesics. To improve mobility, physiotherapy and kinesitherapy can be used.
In addition, it is recommended to consult with a specialist in Rheumatology or Traumatology if it is necessary to resect osteophytes, section the nerves that lead to joint pain or fix the joint to correct the deformity and make the pain disappear, taking into account that there will be no mobility.
As a last option, if indicated by the specialist, surgical treatment may be necessary.