Thumb arthritis

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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

The exact cause of thumb arthritis is unclear, but these factors increase your risk:

  • Being female
  • Being 40 years or older
  • Having certain hereditary conditions, including joint ligament laxity and malformed joints
  • Experiencing injuries to your basal joint, such as fractures and sprains
  • Having diseases that change the normal structure and function of cartilage, such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Performing certain activities and jobs that put high stress on this joint
References
  1. Swigart CR. Arthritis of the base of the thumb. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine. 2008;1:142.
  2. Arthritis of the thumb. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00210. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
  3. Deune EG, et al. The patient with hand, wrist, or elbow pain. In: Current Rheumatology Diagnosis & Treatment. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2729561. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
  4. Dias R, et al. Basal thumb arthritis. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2007;83:40.
  5. 5. Arthritis: Base of the thumb. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/PUBLIC/HANDCONDITIONS/Pages/ArthritisBaseofthe.aspx. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
  6. Osteoarthritis. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Osteoarthritis/default.asp. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
  7. What is arthroscopy? American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00109. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
  8. Looking after your joints when you have arthritis. Arthritis Research Campaign. http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/patpubs/6055/6055.asp. Accessed Feb. 3, 2010.
  9. Wajon A, et al. Surgery for thumb (trapeziometacarpal joint) osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009:CD004631.
DS00703 March 9, 2010

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