Wrist Arthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the wrist, although not as common as OA in weight-bearing joints, is nevertheless not uncommonly encountered by orthopaedic surgeons in daily practice. There are several different causes of wrist osteoarthritis, but most of the time it is post-traumatic. Arthritis of the wrist results in both severe pain and restriction of movement. Early in the disease, patients may have well-preserved, useful range of motion but severe pain. It is well known there is no cure for osteoarthritis, so, we try to have the best treatment for each patient. Therefore, treatment should be stepwise, starting with no surgical treatment (lifestyle modification, immobilization, no steroid drugs, or steroid injection). When these treatments fail, more invasive procedures may be indicated, such as neurectomy, proximal row carpectomy, or partial fusions to preserve at least a limited but functional motion of the wrist. In advanced stages, we can suggest total arthroplasty or total wrist arthrodesis.