Definition
The thumb is used for all hand movements. It comprises two joints, the thumb saddle joint and the thumb end joint. Especially the thumb saddle joint, which connects the thumb with the carpal bones, is subjected to high mechanical stress.
Various causes can cause pain in the thumb saddle joint. The joint can hurt under stress, during individual movements or even at rest. Depending on the cause of the pain, accompanying symptoms such as swelling, redness and overheating may occur.
Causes
There are several possible causes for pain in the thumb saddle joint area. A very common cause of pain in the thumb saddle joint is thumb saddle joint arthrosis, which is caused by joint wear and tear. Other possible causes are metabolic diseases such as gout and rheumatism.
Other common causes of the above-mentioned complaints are injuries caused by a (sports) accident. The thumb saddle joint can be damaged, for example, if you fall with your thumb outstretched. One possible consequence is the so-called ski thumb, in which a ligament on the thumb apparatus tears as a result of the accident and causes severe pain.
The thumb saddle joint at the base of the thumb is often affected by arthrosis, especially in women over the age of fifty. In most cases, both thumb saddle joints are affected by the joint wear and tear. The thumb saddle joint arthrosis has a proper name, rhizarthrosis.
The patients suffer from pain when gripping and turning movements and an increasing restriction of movement of the affected thumb. An acute attack of gout can cause severe pain in the thumb saddle joint. In addition to other joints, the thumb saddle joint is affected in about five percent of the cases, in which case one speaks of Chiragra.
Those affected have a very painful joint inflammation with an effusion and pronounced signs of inflammation. Typically, the patients suffer from a strong pain at rest in the affected joint. The cause is an increased uric acid level in the blood, as a result of which urate crystals are deposited in joints and cause discomfort.
Accidents and sports injuries are regularly accompanied by a fall, in which one uses one’s hands. In particular, if you strike with your thumb spread apart and stretched out, injuries in this area can occur. Bruises, bruises and ligament injuries are common.
More rarely, fractures of the bones involved in the thumb saddle joint occur. A ski thumb is an injury to ligament structures of the thumb saddle joint. The injury typically occurs during sports, for example in the course of a skiing accident when the thumb is extended. The ulnar collateral ligament (in the direction of the ulna), which is located inside the thumb, tears completely or partially. The consequences are instability in the thumb, bruising and pain in the area of the thumb saddle joint.
