What causes osteoarthritis of the hand?
No one knows for sure what causes osteoarthritis to develop in the small joints of the hand but some risk factors include: • Previous hand/wrist injury or fracture • Family history of osteoarthritis • Damage to the small joints of the hand from another type of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout • Increasing age • Repetitive activity with hands and wrists over a period of time Can osteoarthritis of the hand be detected on X-ray? In some cases osteoarthritis of the hand can be diagnosed based on the medical history and physical examination of the affected joint(s). An x-ray may be ordered to determine how much joint damage there is. Sometimes blood tests or joint fluid tests are ordered to confirm the diagnosis or to distinguish between different types of arthritis. Other tests like bone scans or MRI’s are not usually required. What is the treatment for osteoarthritis of the hand? Treatment options for the osteoarthritis of the small joints of the hand include exercises to im
