Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition of the cartilage.
There is no clear etiology identified for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is not
related to tumor, inflammation, infection, gout, or trauma. Osteoarthritis is
different from rheumatoid arthritis which is an inflammatory condition. The
distal interphalangeal joint (DIP) is the joint that is most often involved
with osteoarthritis. The trapeziometacarpal joint (TM) is the second most
involved joint with osteoarthritis. When the trapeziometacarpal joint is
involved, it causes pain with weak pinch and grip. Osteoarthritis of the
fingers involves the following: DIP (Heberden’s Nodes). Heberden’s nodes are
bony swellings (osteophytes) that can develop in the distal interphalangeal
joints (DIP) due to the effects of osteoarthritis on these joints. Heberden’s
nodes are a sign of osteoarthritis caused by osteophytes formation (bony outgrowth)
of the articular cartilage in response to repeated microtrauma at the joint.
Heberden’s nodes are more common in women than in men. PIP (Bouchard’s nodes)
are also associated with osteoarthritis, and they are similar bony growths
which develop in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints. Bouchard’s nodes,
like Heberden’s nodes, may or may not be painful. Swollen, hard, and painful
finger joints (Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes) is the classical signs of DIP
and PIP joint osteoarthritis. A mucous cyst is a small, fluid-filled sacs that
form between the DIP joint of the finger and the bottom of the fingernail are
another sign of osteoarthritis. The best treatment for the mucous cyst is
surgical excision of the cyst and removal of the underlying osteophyte to
decrease the risk of recurrence.
