Hand and wrist osteoarticular pain usually results from osteoarthritis-related degenerative alterations. Osteoarthritis has two main causes: age-related spontaneous degeneration and post-traumatic degeneration. Traumas lead to direct osteoarticular lesions or instability secondary to bone deformities and ligamentous lesions. The treatment of primary osteoarthritis, dominated by rhizarthrosis (base of the thumb), is initially conservative, using anti-inflammatory drugs (per os and by local massages) and resting splints. Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid infiltrations can be used as second-line treatment. Finally, surgical prosthetic or non-prosthetic arthroplasty usually yields good results in more severe cases. In post-traumatic situations, early recognition of instability may allow surgical stabilization to be performed so as to prevent pain and secondary degenerative lesions. Radiography, CT-arthrography and MR-arthrography are the examinations of choice to complete the clinical examination.
Key Words
Hand, wrist, rhizarthrosis, trapeziectomy, prosthesis, ligament