Causes

Osteoarthritis of the wrist most often is caused by ageing and traumatic injury. It can also result from medical conditions such as chronic autoimmune inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis) or from the reduction of blood flow through the lunate carpal bone (Kienböck’s disease). Generally, the ageing process affects all joints due to wear and tear and osteoarthritis is more frequent in those patients with a family history of the disease. Wrist osteoarthritis can result from a previous injury following the repair of a fracture or as a consequence of small changes in the anatomy of the wrist bones that increase pressure on the joint cartilage, which gradually degenerates. The pathology can also arise from traumatic damage to the cartilage itself, leading to a rigid scar formation that impairs a smooth joint movement. This is named post-traumatic osteoarthritis.