Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and cartilage loss within the joint. There are several types of arthritis. The most common type—osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear arthritis—occurs commonly in the joint at the base of the thumb, where the thumb meets the wrist.
This joint, called the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint or the basilar joint, is important when trying to grip or pinch. Thumb arthritis is more common in women than men and increases in frequency over the age of 50 years.
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Symptoms
Symptoms common in patients who have thumb arthritis include:
By examining your thumb, your healthcare provider can usually make the diagnosis of basilar arthritis without any special tests. An X-ray will show the extent of arthritis. The X-ray may also offer some indication of how successful nonoperative treatments may be in your situation.
Many people with this condition find themselves rubbing or massaging the base of their thumb in order to relieve the discomfort.
Nonsurgical Thumb Arthritis Treatments
The treatments for thumb arthritis include:
Surgical Options for Thumb Arthritis
Surgery can be a helpful treatment for patients with severe thumb arthritis. The usual surgical treatment is to remove the arthritic bone, relieving the pain and inflammation of the worn-out joint. There are different surgical procedures to accomplish this goal, including atrapeziectomy.In some situations, your surgeon may choose to replace the removed bone with a tendon graft, with anartificial implant, or with nothing at all. Alternatively, your healthcare provider may considerfusing the joint, to eliminate all motion at the base of the thumb.
The good news about surgery is that, in appropriately selected patients, surgical treatment of thumb arthritis is very successful. Patient satisfaction with surgical treatment is about 90–95%, meaning most patients feel very good after surgical intervention.There are potential complications of surgery, including infection,nerve injury, and persistent pain. Talk to your healthcare provider if you want to know more about the surgical treatment of thumb arthritis.
Other Causes of Thumb Pain
There are other potential causes of thumb pain that need to be considered, especially if simple treatments for some arthritis do not help. Possible causes of thumb pain include:
Sometimes these conditions can mimic the symptoms of arthritis of the thumb, and they can also coexist along with arthritis of the thumb.If you were diagnosed with some arthritis, and your symptoms do not seem to be responding appropriately to treatment, your healthcare provider should evaluate for other potential causes of pain. Sometimes these other conditions may need treatment in order to alleviate your symptoms of discomfort.
If the pain is still not improved, and other conditions do not seem to be the source of your discomfort, it may mean that the treatments provided are not adequate to relieve your condition. In that case, more invasive treatments may ultimately become necessary.
A Word From Verywell
While symptoms can typically be managed with simple treatments, arthritis at the base of the thumb is one of the most commonly diagnosed arthritic joints in the body. Most people will respond well to simple treatments. If you do not find relief with these methods, you might consider surgical options.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Musumeci G, Aiello FC, Szychlinska MA, Di rosa M, Castrogiovanni P, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis in the XXIst century: risk factors and behaviours that influence disease onset and progression.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(3):6093-112. doi:10.3390/ijms16036093Higgenbotham C, Boyd A, Busch M, Heaton D, Trumble T.Optimal management of thumb basal joint arthritis: challenges and solutions.Orthop Res Rev. 2017;9:93-99. doi:10.2147/ORR.S138809Eltorai AEM, Han A.Current trends in the management of trapeziometacarpal arthritis.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2017;9(4):7195. doi:10.4081/or.2017.7195American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the thumb.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Musumeci G, Aiello FC, Szychlinska MA, Di rosa M, Castrogiovanni P, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis in the XXIst century: risk factors and behaviours that influence disease onset and progression.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(3):6093-112. doi:10.3390/ijms16036093Higgenbotham C, Boyd A, Busch M, Heaton D, Trumble T.Optimal management of thumb basal joint arthritis: challenges and solutions.Orthop Res Rev. 2017;9:93-99. doi:10.2147/ORR.S138809Eltorai AEM, Han A.Current trends in the management of trapeziometacarpal arthritis.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2017;9(4):7195. doi:10.4081/or.2017.7195American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the thumb.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.Musumeci G, Aiello FC, Szychlinska MA, Di rosa M, Castrogiovanni P, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis in the XXIst century: risk factors and behaviours that influence disease onset and progression.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(3):6093-112. doi:10.3390/ijms16036093Higgenbotham C, Boyd A, Busch M, Heaton D, Trumble T.Optimal management of thumb basal joint arthritis: challenges and solutions.Orthop Res Rev. 2017;9:93-99. doi:10.2147/ORR.S138809Eltorai AEM, Han A.Current trends in the management of trapeziometacarpal arthritis.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2017;9(4):7195. doi:10.4081/or.2017.7195American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the thumb.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Osteoarthritis.
Musumeci G, Aiello FC, Szychlinska MA, Di rosa M, Castrogiovanni P, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis in the XXIst century: risk factors and behaviours that influence disease onset and progression.Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(3):6093-112. doi:10.3390/ijms16036093
Higgenbotham C, Boyd A, Busch M, Heaton D, Trumble T.Optimal management of thumb basal joint arthritis: challenges and solutions.Orthop Res Rev. 2017;9:93-99. doi:10.2147/ORR.S138809
Eltorai AEM, Han A.Current trends in the management of trapeziometacarpal arthritis.Orthop Rev (Pavia). 2017;9(4):7195. doi:10.4081/or.2017.7195
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Arthritis of the thumb.
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