“Around Your 40s, Osteoarthritis Can Occur,” says Alejandro Badia, MD

Dr. Badia was quoted on a Health.com article about Osteoarthritis

Around your 40s, osteoarthritis can occur, says Alejandro Badia, MD, board-certified hand and upper extremity orthopedic surgeon with Badia Hand to Shoulder Center in Florida.

As cartilage wears away around joints, achiness and discomfort ensues. “It is very common for those who are predisposed to generalized osteoarthritis to begin their problems in the lumbar cervical spine, hips, and knees, and [in] particular joints such as the basal joint of the thumb, more so in women,” he says. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and the best way to avoid it, says Dr. Badia, is with a healthy, balanced diet and weight-bearing exercise.

To read the entire article named “10 Common Illnesses You’re More Likely to Get After 40” by Madeleine Burry, please go to www.health.com/osteoarthritis/40s-common-illnesses

What about Osteoarthritis of the thumb?

Osteoarthritis of the thumb, most typically basal joint arthritis is the second most common location for arthritis in the hand, but the most functionally disabling.

Base of thumb arthritis

Surgical Options for Thumb Basal Joint Arthritis

• Early Surgical Treatments
• Total Joint Arthroplasty
• Arthroscopy

Future options for the painful osteoarthritic basal joint of the hand

As the population ages and continues to be more active, it will be necessary to provide different options for the painful osteoarthritic basal joint of the hand. Newer technologies, such as small joint arthroscopy, or advances in biomaterials will lead to greater treatment options at this small but critical joint. Resection arthroplasty, or fusion, will likely continue to have a role in treatment, but I suspect that over time it will not be the primary option as is currently the gold standard.

For more information regarding thumb arthritis surgeries, please call Badia Hand to Shoulder Center at (305)227-4263, or request an appointment through the form below. Dr. Badia is regarded as one of the top hand surgeons in the US.

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• Arthritis: Don’t Let It Define You!
• Living With Joint Pain
• Do you know what to do with your pain?