Understanding Hand Deformities in Rheumatoid Arthritis

As published on Healthline.com

February 1, 2021

What causes hand deformities in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)?

A major misconception about RA is that it’s solely a joint disease, according to Alejandro Badia, MD, FACS, founder of the Badia Hand and Shoulder Center in Miami, Florida.

It’s largely a disease of the soft tissues,” he explained. This includes ligaments and tendons, he said, although joints also are severely affected.”

That’s especially true in your hands. They contain a large number of small bones, called phalanges and metacarpals, that are connected by joints. These joints are responsible for movement of your fingers.

In people with RA, the lining of these joints, called the synovium, is attacked by immune system cells. The synovium normally produces fluid that allows the joints to smoothly glide on their cartilage covers.

The damage from the systematic inflammation caused by RA can be particularly visible, painful, and debilitating in your wrists and hands.”

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Alejandro Badia, M.D., is an internationally renowned hand and upper-limb surgeon and founder of Badia Hand to Shoulder Center and OrthoNOW®, a network of immediate orthopedic care centers. Dr. Badia is the author of Healthcare from the Trenches.

Please call (305)227-4263 to request an appointment with Dr. Alejandro Badia.

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