What Is Erosive Osteoarthritis?
Taiwo Ayandeyi
Erosive osteoarthritis is a type of osteoarthritis that primarily affects the fingers. Symptoms include pain, swelling, warmth, and redness. Women around age 50 are most at risk, possibly due to loss of estrogen.
Erosive osteoarthritis is a type of inflammatory osteoarthritis. It can develop in the hinge joints of the fingers and less frequently in the toes. Clinically, these joints are known as the interphalangeal joints.
Research suggests that less than 3% of people develop erosive osteoarthritis. About 10% of people with symptomatic osteoarthritis have this inflammatory joint condition.
Erosive osteoarthritis can cause:
a hardening of the bone near the cartilage, known as subchondral sclerosis
a narrowing of the space between bones
the destruction of some bone material (erosions)
This article examines the symptoms, causes, and treatment of erosive osteoarthritis.
What are the symptoms of erosive osteoarthritis?
Erosive osteoarthritis can be challenging for doctors to diagnose, even with X-rays and other imaging tests. An analysis of dozens of studies found some doctors disagreed about what joint changes indicate erosive osteoarthritis.
One generally accepted sign of the condition is its sudden appearance. Stiffness and soreness associated with conventional osteoarthritis tend to build gradually. However, symptoms of erosive osteoarthritis usually come on without warning.
Those symptoms primarily affect the fingers and usually include:
sudden-onset pain
swelling
warmth
redness
reduced function of the hand (it becomes harder to grip objects, for example)
Joint function changes usually occurTrusted Source in the fingers’ proximal joints (in the middle of the fingers) rather than the distal joints (nearer the fingertips).
What causes erosive osteoarthritis?
Health experts disagree about whether erosive osteoarthritis is an aggressive form of osteoarthritis or a distinct type of arthritis.
Typical osteoarthritis is due to wear and tear of the joints over time or an injury that doesn’t heal properly. Erosive osteoarthritis doesn’t share those origins. Researchers believe hormones may be involved because women are affected more often than men.
How is erosive osteoarthritis managed or treated?
There is no cure for erosive osteoarthritis. It’s a progressive condition that is not reversible. The goal of treatment is to manage the severity of symptoms and maintain joint function.
Many erosive osteoarthritis treatments are the same as standard osteoarthritis treatments. However, the severity of your symptoms will determine the best approach for you.
NSAIDs and analgesics
Over-the-counter and prescription-strength pain relievers are usually the first-line treatments for erosive osteoarthritis.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil), can help reduce the inflammation associated with the condition.
Analgesics, including acetaminophen (Tylenol), can be very effective pain relievers that are especially helpful for people who cannot take NSAIDs.
Steroid injections
Steroid injections aim to reduce inflammation and pain, but you can only have an injection in an individual joint a few times a year. Typically, they are more effective in temporarily easing symptoms in larger joints, such as the knee or shoulder, rather than the smaller joints of the hand.
Occupational therapy
When finger and hand function become impaired, basic tasks like buttoning a shirt or using eating utensils can become challenging. An occupational therapist can teach you modified ways to perform everyday tasks on your own or with the help of special tools and devices.
An occupational therapist will encourage people with erosive osteoarthritis to do exercises to strengthen the affected joints and improve their function.
Heat therapy
The use of hot compresses or hot water soaks is a mainstay of arthritis treatment. Heat helps open up blood vessels to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the tissue of your joints, easing stiffness and relieving pain.
Heat therapy can be an effective complement to oral medications and other treatments.
Takeaway
Erosive osteoarthritis presents with many of the same symptoms as traditional osteoarthritis, though the pain, swelling, and other symptoms are usually limited to the fingers.
If you have arthritic symptoms, see your doctor or a rheumatologist. The earlier you receive a diagnosis and a treatment plan, the sooner you can slow down the progression of erosive osteoarthritis and manage symptoms.
