Hand Osteoarthritis Can Progress Quickly

Dutch researchers tracked 172 patients with hand osteoarthritis for two years and found they experienced a significant increase in pain and limitation.

Statistically significant radiological progression was also detected in 20 percent of subjects, according to the findings presented at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology in Barcelona, Spain.

The findings of this study underline the critical need for early, effective intervention in hand osteoarthritis to prevent irreversible progression, given the dramatic deterioration of clinical and radiological disease status seen in just two years, study leader Dr. Stella Botha-Scheepers, of Leiden University, the Netherlands, said in a statement.

Hand osteoarthritis tends to appear in a predictable pattern, most commonly affecting the small joints of the fingers and the joint at the base of the thumb.

It can be diagnosed by medical examination and X-rays of the hand. Treatment options for arthritis of the hand and wrist include oral medication, injections, splinting and surgery, according to Botha-Scheepers.