title: [A rare arthrosis of the metacarpophalangeal joints--a degenerative disease in heavy manual labor].
abstract: We identified eight patients (10%) suffering from metacarpophalangeal (mcp) osteoarthritis in a group of 81 men doing hard manual labor for more than 10 years. There was no case of mcp osteoarthritis in a group of 65 men which had not performed hard manual labor. The most essential clinical symptom was mild to moderate pain in all cases, followed by deformities, stiffness, reduced subjective grip strength, decreased range of motion, and soft-tissue swelling, listed in order of decreasing frequency. In the first group, we found a higher frequency of other localizations of interphalangeal osteoarthritis. It seems remarkable that in three patients the osteoarthritis of the mcp joints was isolated, without degenerative changes of the other finger-joints. The typical localization of the mcp osteoarthritis was the second and the third fingers, most frequently of the right hand in patients with known right-handedness (but the finding lacks statistical significance). Radial, hook-like osteophytes, and ulnar, blunt-shaped osteophytes were recorded as morphologic characteristics. Extreme stress of the finger joints by intense gripping and handling of heavy tools, and microtrauma caused by vibrating tools are discussed as causative factors.
authors.affiliation: Aussenstelle für Klinische Rheumatologie und Physikalische Medizin, Gröbming des Ludwig Boltzmann.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulreich
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010147:Pain Measurement; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular
vernacular_title: Die seltene Arthrose der Metakarpophalangealgelenke--eine degenerative Erkrankung bei manueller Schwerarbeit.