WHAT IS IT?
Arthrosis is a disease which causes deterioration of the articular cartilage and generally occurs in the main joints.
Joints are the parts of the body where two bones meet. The movement of these bones in the point of this articulation is what allows the body to move. Cartilage is a tissue which is found in the joints and which encloses the area of the bones so that they can move over each other with minimal friction occurring.
Arthrosis of the trapezium-metacarpus is known as rizarthrosis and this refers to the degeneration of the surface of the cartilage between the trapezium bone and the first metacarpal. Rizarthrosis may appear alone or along with arthrosis in other locations.
CAUSES
This pathology is most common in post-menopausal women and in manual workers. In some cases, the underlying instability in a joint may contribute to wear as may the effects of previous trauma injuries.
SYMPTOMS
Examination reveals pain and swelling of the trapezium bone-metacarpal joint and a reduction in the space between the first and second metacarpal, with a pain which increases when pinching and pressure are applied to the area.
TREATMENT
The recommended treatment is:
In the event of no improvement as a result of the aforementioned conservative treatments, surgical treatment (such as tendon grafts, arthrodesis, interpositional arthroplasties, etc) would be recommended.
PRP and rizarthrosis
PRP injection is applied to the hand on an outpatient basis in our Biological Therapy Unit under strict aseptic conditions. Injections are given using a dose of between 1 and 2 cc of activated PRP liquid. In order to verify the correct injections of the joint, this shall always be applied under radiological control. The treatment shall be weekly and on an outpatient basis for 3 weeks in succession. The injections are painful and post-treatment local cryotherapy is recommended. A 7-day interval is estimated between each application based on cell processes applied to tissue as part of remodelling-repair work.