Osteoarthritis in fingers, knees & Co. – the most common forms

Osteoarthritis in the knee: Wear and tear of the knee joints

The most common form of arthrosis is arthrosis of the knee joints ( gonarthrosis ). Typical symptoms in the early stages are start-up pain, swelling in the evening, pain on exertion and restricted mobility. In the case of advanced knee joint arthrosis, the pain also occurs at rest. Overweight, extreme competitive sports, sports injuries and jobs that put a strain on the knees often lead to cartilage damage in the knee joint, which can result in arthrosis.

Osteoarthritis of the hip – complaints in the hip

Arthrosis of the hip joints ( coxarthrosis ) is the second most common after arthrosis of the knees. Pain during movement in the groin and hips, which can extend to the buttocks or leg, is characteristic. Signs of coxarthrosis can also be pain when climbing stairs and moving the thigh inwards – as happens when crossing your legs. Osteoarthritis of the hip joint often develops gradually without a recognizable underlying cause.

Shoulder joint osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis in the shoulder

The loss of cartilage on the shoulder socket and humerus head is characteristic of shoulder joint arthrosis (omarthrosis). There is often brief, severe pain in the shoulder and less often permanent pain. Triggers can be strong and permanent overloading of the shoulder joint, but also accidents, operations and a frequent dislocation of the shoulder (shoulder dislocation).

Osteoarthritis of the finger joints – pain in the finger

If your fingers feel stiff, especially in the morning, are partially swollen, and it is difficult to clench your fist, arthrosis of the finger joints can be the cause.

One speaks of Heberden’s arthrosis when the finger end joints are particularly affected by the index finger, ring finger and middle finger. They may also be permanently thickened. The disease occurs primarily in women over the age of 50. It is believed that female hormones play a role in the development of this form of osteoarthritis.

So-called Bouchard arthrosis damages the middle joints of the fingers, especially the index and ring fingers.

Osteoarthritis in the thumb saddle joint

Arthrosis of the saddle joint of the thumb ( rhizarthrosis ) makes itself felt in the form of pain and weakness when using the wrist and thumb. Rhizarthrosis can severely limit everyday life because the thumb is required for almost all activities that are carried out with the hands. In most cases, it only occurs on one hand but can also affect both thumb saddle joints. Women over the age of 50 are affected much more frequently than men.

Osteoarthritis in the wrist

Die Handgelenke sind deutlich seltener als die Daumengelenke von Arthrose betroffen. Die Handgelenksarthrose (Radiokarpalarthrose) kann genaugenommen in verschiedenen kleineren Gelenken auftreten, die sich dann als Schmerzen im Handgelenk äußern. Kraftverlust, Steife des Gelenks sowie Probleme bei Greifbewegungen können die Folge sein, auch Schwellungen des Handrückens sind möglich. Im Verlauf der Erkrankung können das Beugen oder Strecken des Handgelenks, das Drehen der Handflächen nach oben oder das Öffnen eines Schraubverschlusses Betroffenen schwerfallen.

Arthrose der Wirbelgelenke im Rücken

Bei der sogenannten Spondylarthrose (Facettensyndrom) sind die Facettengelenke im Rücken betroffen, die sich zwischen den Wirbelkörperfortsätzen der Wirbelsäule befinden. Dabei kommt es zu einer Schädigung der Knorpel in den Facettengelenken. Eine Spondylarthrose wird oft durch erhöhten Druck auf die Facettengelenke ausgelöst. Dieser kann durch Fehlstellungen der Gelenke, Übergewicht, einen Verschleiß der Bandscheiben oder einen Bandscheibenvorfall entstehen.

Arthrose im Fuß – oberes Sprunggelenk selten betroffen

Ein Gelenkverschleiß des oberen Sprunggelenks im Fuß (Arthrose des Talokruralgelenks) ist sehr selten, denn das Sprunggelenk ist sehr stabil und wenig anfällig für Arthrose. Meistens stecken Sportverletzungen in der Vergangenheit dahinter, wenn das Sprunggelenk von einer Arthrose betroffen ist.

Arthrose im Ellenbogen

The elbow joint is less likely to be affected by osteoarthritis than other joints. Joint wear develops primarily due to heavy strain on the arms over a more extended period, for example, through sports such as tennis, golf, boxing or specific skilled trades. Pain when bending the forearm and limited mobility are typical symptoms of osteoarthritis of the elbow joint (cubital arthrosis).

Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis

Pain and restricted mobility when chewing, yawning or biting can be signs of jaw osteoarthritis. But headaches, muscle tension in the shoulders and neck, and cracking, rubbing or crunching noises when the lower jaw moves, indicate wear and tear of the temporomandibular joint. The causes include incorrect loading of the temporomandibular joint, injuries, inflammation or misalignment of the teeth.