There are many bone diseases of the hand. According to MedlinePlus, a person's hands are important for carrying out her activities of daily living, and when there is a problem with the hands, a person's quality of life and livelihood can be significantly affected. Bone diseases in the hand can range in severity from mild to marked, and they can affect people of all ages.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that can affect the hand bones. According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand or ASSH, two thirds of people with rheumatoid arthritis have wrist and hand problems, and rheumatoid arthritis can cause bony changes in the hands. ASSH states that rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease that targets a joint's synovium--a membrane that lines the joints and secretes a fluid to help lubricate the joints--and can cause erosion of the joint cartilage and bones. Rheumatoid arthritis of the hand is most common in the wrist and knuckles, and typically it occurs in a bilateral distribution or in both hands simultaneously. Common signs and symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis in the hands include the following: firm nodules on the fingers, a soft lump on the back of the hand that shifts when the fingers are extended, abnormal finger angulation and prominent wrist bones, among others.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a disease that can affect the hand bones. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or AAOS states that osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, can occur in multiple areas of the hand and wrist, and that osteoarthritis can significantly affect a person's activities of daily living. The AAOS reports that about one out of every five Americans has at least one joint exhibiting signs or symptoms of osteoarthritis, and that osteoarthritis typically affects older individuals. According to the AAOS, common signs and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis include the following: pain immediately after bouts of increased joint use or the following day, morning pain and stiffness in the hands, increased joint pain with rainy weather, joint swelling, increased joint warmth, grating or grinding sensations in the involved joint and ridging or dents in the nail plates of affected fingers.
Keinbock's Disease
Keinbock's disease is a disease that can affect the hand bones. According to the AAOS, Keinbock's disease involves the interruption of blood flow to the lunate bone--a small carpal or wrist bone. The AAOS states that bone is a living tissue and requires an adequate supply of blood, oxygen and nutrients, and that disruption of blood flow to the bone can cause the bone to die or experience osteonecrosis. There is no known cause of Keinbock's disease, although wrist trauma, such as a severe sprain, may be a precipitating factor. The AAOS states that common signs and symptoms associated with Keinbock's disease include the following: a painful and occasionally swollen wrist, increased wrist stiffness and decreased wrist range of motion, reduced hand grip strength, lunate tenderness when the bone is pressed and pain or discomfort when the hand is turned upward.
