It is a chronic, degenerative disorder that frequently leads to common pain and disability. Age is the most common risk factor for developing osteoarthritis with a sharp rise in incidence in men over the age of 50 and women over the age of 40. Another risk factor is gender. Hand osteoarthritis is more prevalent in women than men. Osteoarthritis of the knee is slightly more common in women while hip osteoarthritis is more common in men.
Women are more likely to report pain in all affected joints than men.
Obesity, occupation-related repetitive injury and physical trauma are also risk factors for developing osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb results from the wearing away of cartilage between two specific bones. This results in painful rubbing of the bone surfaces, as there is not enough cartilage to protect the surface of the bones. He says women are particularly predisposed to developing osteoarthritis in this area and are more likely to develop it earlier in life. Traditional treatments of osteoarthritis of the thumb include anti-inflammatories, splints and cortisone injections.