Thumb Arthritis
Thumb arthritis is common with aging and occurs when cartilage wears away from the ends of the bones that form the joint at the base of your thumb — also known as the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint.
Thumb arthritis can cause severe pain, swelling, and decreased strength and range of motion, making it difficult to do simple tasks, such as turning doorknobs and opening jars. Treatment generally involves a combination of medication and splints. Severe thumb arthritis might require surgery.
HAND & WRIST ANATOMY
DISEASE EXPLAINED
SYMPTOMS
Pain is the first and most common symptom of thumb arthritis. Pain can occur at the base of your thumb when you grip, grasp or pinch an object, or use your thumb to apply force.
Other signs and symptoms might include:
Swelling, stiffness and tenderness at the base of your thumb
Decreased strength when pinching or grasping objects
Decreased range of motion
Enlarged or bony appearance of the joint at the base of your thumb
CAUSES
Thumb arthritis commonly occurs with aging. Previous trauma or injury to the thumb joint also can cause thumb arthritis.
In a normal thumb joint, cartilage covers the ends of the bones — acting as a cushion and allowing the bones to glide smoothly against each other. With thumb arthritis, the cartilage that covers the ends of the bones deteriorates, and its smooth surface roughens. The bones then rub against each other, resulting in friction and joint damage.
The damage to the joint might result in growth of new bone along the sides of the existing bone (bone spurs), which can produce noticeable lumps on your thumb joint.
TREATMENT
TREATMENT OPTIONS
In the early stages of thumb arthritis, treatment usually involves a combination of non-surgical therapies. If your thumb arthritis is severe, surgery might be necessary.
Medication
To relieve pain, your doctor might recommend:
Topical medications, such as capsaicin or diclofenac, which are applied to the skin over the joint
Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve)
Prescription pain relievers, such as celecoxib (Celebrex) or tramadol (Conzip, Ultram)
Splint
A splint can support your joint and limit the movement of your thumb and wrist. You might wear a splint just at night or throughout the day and night.
Splints can help decrease pain, encourage proper positioning of your joint while you complete tasks, rest your joint
Injections
If pain relievers and a splint aren’t effective, your doctor might recommend injecting a long-acting corticosteroid into your thumb joint. Corticosteroid injections can offer temporary pain relief and reduce inflammation.
Surgery – If you don’t respond to other treatments or if you’re barely able to bend and twist your thumb, your doctor might recommend surgery. Options include:
Joint fusion (arthrodesis).
The bones in the affected joint are permanently fused. The fused joint can bear weight without pain, but has no flexibility.
Osteotomy.
The bones in the affected joint are repositioned to help correct deformities.
Trapeziectomy.
One of the bones in your thumb joint (trapezium) is removed.
Joint replacement (arthroplasty).
All or part of the affected joint is removed and replaced with a graft from one of your tendons.
These surgeries can all be done on an outpatient basis. After surgery, you can expect to wear a cast or splint over your thumb and wrist for up to six weeks. Once the cast is removed, you might have physical therapy to help you regain hand strength and movement.
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