What are the differences between osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis in the hands?
Sydney hand surgeon
When arthritis affects one or more joints of the hand, it generally causes symptoms like pain, stiffness, and difficulty moving the affected joints. However, even though the symptoms are similar, not all arthritis is the same. There are a few different types of arthritis.
Two common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis). Although both conditions ultimately involve inflammation of the joints, these two conditions differ from each other in terms of both their causes and their symptoms.
How can you tell whether you have osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis? What are the differences between these two conditions?
Causes of osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis
Osteoarthritis is sometimes known as “wear-and-tear” arthritis. It begins in the cartilage, which is the smooth tissue that caps the end of each bone. Over the course of many years, the cartilage is gradually worn away, leaving the ends of the bones unprotected. Bone spurs may develop as the bone tissue reacts to the damage.
Even though osteoarthritis is not called “inflammatory arthritis,” inflammation is still a part of the process. As cartilage breaks down, a process of inflammation is initiated. This causes many of the symptoms of this condition, like swelling and pain. Inflammation is still involved, but with osteoarthritis, the process doesn’t begin with inflammation.
By contrast, in people with inflammatory arthritis, inflammation is the main cause of the condition. Inflammatory arthritis begins in the soft tissues of the joints, such as the synovial membrane (a thin membrane surrounding the joint) or the attachments of ligaments and tendons to the bone. The immune system mistakenly begins attacking the tissue of the joint, setting up an inflammatory process. This leads to the symptoms of swelling and pain in the affected joints. Over time, the inflammatory process causes more and more damage to the joint.
Differences between osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis
Although some of the symptoms may overlap, there are a few major differences that help doctors to distinguish between these two types of arthritis.
Location
Both types of arthritis can affect various joints of the hand. However, inflammatory arthritis usually involves multiple joints. Generally, the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis are symmetrical, meaning that the same joint is affected equally on both the left and right sides of the body. By contrast, osteoarthritis can affect just a single joint. A person can also develop osteoarthritis in multiple different joints, but symptoms often begin at different times in different joints.
Timing of Symptoms
People with arthritis often wake up with stiff joints. However, with osteoarthritis, the stiffness usually disappears fairly quickly after you get out of bed and begin to move. By contrast, with inflammatory arthritis, people often find that the morning stiffness lasts much longer. If stiffness in the morning lasts for an hour or more, then the person likely has inflammatory arthritis.
Progression
Both types of arthritis tend to develop over a relatively long period of time. However, osteoarthritis usually develops over the course of years, as the cartilage of the joint is gradually damaged more and more. Inflammatory arthritis generally comes on a little bit faster, often over the course of a few months.
Other Symptoms
Another clue is whether there are symptoms beyond the affected joints themselves. In some cases, inflammatory arthritis will cause other symptoms. For example, rheumatoid arthritis may begin with a flu-like illness, with symptoms like fever, fatigue, and weakness. Psoriatic arthritis is sometimes associated with patches of thickened and itchy skin on various parts of the body. By contrast, osteoarthritis only causes symptoms in the joint that’s affected.
Sydney hand surgeon
If you’re experiencing symptoms of arthritis in one or more of the joints of your hand, then it’s essential to get a proper diagnosis from an expert in this area of the body. Treatment can help to manage symptoms and slow down or even stop the damage to your joints, but different types of arthritis require different treatment. In some cases, the treatment of arthritis of the hand might involve surgery, such as joint replacement.
Dr. Sungaran is an expert in treating conditions of the hand and wrist. He’s also been highly trained in performing surgery in this area, and his excellent surgical skills allow him to get the best possible results for his patients. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sungaran, please contact our front desk.
