What is osteoarthritis of the hand?

Osteoarthritis of the hands is much more common among Caucasians than among other ethnic groups.

Osteoarthritis of the fingers is the one type of the disease that seems to be hereditary. Osteoarthritis of the fingers mainly affects women, especially after menopause. It primarily affects the joints at the end of the fingers and the joint at the base of the thumb. When the condition first appears, which tends to be when the woman is in her 40s or 50s, these joints can be red, swollen, and tender.

Over time, firm, small, bony swellings may appear at the painful joints. The bony swellings forming at the tips of the fingers are called Heberden's nodes; hard swellings that form at the middle joints of the fingers are called Bouchard's nodes. Once fully formed, pain often improves. Nodes at the base joint of the thumb often continue to be painful. With advancing disease, the hand may not have full function and may become deformed but will not necessarily be in pain. This kind of osteoarthritis can be treated by medications, splints, or heat therapy.

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