Wrist and Hand Arthritis

This very common condition is often due to family history of arthritis in the hands, or sometimes is associated with years in a certain occupation. We commonly see patients with arthritis at the base of the thumb, with arthritis in the fingers, and occasionally with wrist arthritis.

For lower demand patients, a wrist replacement is an option and we can make onward referrals for this. For more active patients a wrist fusion or a partial wrist fusion is a reliable durable option but does restrict movement within the hand and wrist.

Arthritis at the base of the thumb is helped with either a fusion for more manual workers, or with a trapeziectomy where we remove the thumb at the base of the thumb combined with a suspensory fixation device to hold the bone of the thumb in the correct position.

Finger fusions are straight forward and held with screws across the joint in the optimal position, which varies on the finger and your occupation. Finger joint replacements are an option again for selected patients depending on the joint and your activity level.

Below is an example of how we manage arthritis at the base of the thumb.