By Julia Scheeres Rheumatoid arthritis, an immune disease, may strike the hands, bringing pain, inflammation and deformity. Stephen B. Schnall, USC associate professor of clinical orthopaedics and chief of the Hand Surgery Service, discusses the condition.
Arthritis means joint inflammation.
In this case, the lining of the joints becomes inflamed, causing destruction of the cartilage. In rheumatoid arthritis, the synovial tissue, which lines joints, overgrows and erodes the joints. It can affect the whole body. The hands are commonly affected by rheumatoid arthritis. It usually affects both hands at the same time, causing swelling, loss of joint function, pain and severe deformity.