Pain in the thumb joint

Introduction

The thumb contains a total of three different joints. Thus one can distinguish between the thumb saddle joint, the thumb base joint and the thumb end joint. Each joint can cause pain, which causes discomfort in the thumb and the rest of the hand. But also structures that are structurally connected to the joints, such as ligaments, muscles or tendons, can cause pain in the thumb. Pain that persists for a long time should be clarified by a doctor so that diseases can be diagnosed if necessary and therapy can be started.

Causes

The causes of pain emanating from the thumb joints can be very different. In principle, the first step is to find out which of the three thumb joints is affected. The thumb saddle joint is a connection that connects the large polygon bone, a bone of the wrist, with the first metacarpal bone.

The joint can be moved in two axes. The main cause of pain originating from the thumb saddle joint is arthrosis of the joint. An arthrosis that occurs in this joint is then also called rizarthrosis.

It is a degenerative disease in which cartilage material in the joint perishes and finally the bones rub against each other, causing pain. Other, rather rare causes of pain in this joint can be damage or overuse of the structures surrounding the joint. The thumb saddle joint is surrounded by numerous ligaments, which can be individually damaged.

In particular, injuries can cause damage to muscles or ligaments in the joint area. The metacarpo-phalangeal joint is a joint of the thumb, which connects the first bone of the metacarpus with the first bone of the thumb (proximal phalanx). In addition to osteoarthritis, which can occur in this joint, the structure is particularly at risk for structural damage in the event of injury.

For example, the capsule of the joint or the ligaments of the thumb can be damaged and cause pain if the finger is twisted. Often, such injuries also cause bruising and swelling of the thumb. Finally, the thumb end joint can also cause pain. In addition to degenerative diseases that can affect the joint, such as osteoarthritis, injuries in particular are the main cause of pain caused by the thumb end joint. Thus, especially cuts and crush injuries can cause damage to the joint, its capsule or ligaments.