Osteoarthritis of the hand

Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that protects and cushions the joints breaks down over time. Eventually, the bones, formerly separated by cartilage, rub against each other. This results in damage to the tissue and underlying bone, causing the painful joint symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is common in the finger and thumb joints, especially at the joints near the tips of the fingers and at the joint joining the thumb to the hand, near the wrist.