DIP Arthritis

synonyms:

DIP Arthritis ICD-9

DIP Arthritis Etiology / Epidemiology / Natural History

• Most common site of arthritis in the hand
• Etiology: osteoarthritis, posttraumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis

DIP Arthritis Anatomy

• see Hand anatomy.

DIP Arthritis Clinical Evaluation

• Pain and loss of motion in DIP joint of affected digit. RA patients often have gross deformity / subluxation

DIP Arthritis Xray / Diagnositc Tests

• P/A, lateral and oblique views of affected finger / thumb demonstrate varying degrees of Joint space narrowing, sclerosis, osteophytosis

DIP Arthritis Classification / Treatment

• Mild / Moderate: resection of Heberden nodes and Mucous Cyst.
• Severe: DIP arthrodesis.

DIP Arthritis Associated Injuries / Differential Diagnosis

• Mucous Cyst
• DIP dislocation
• PIP Arthritis
• MCP arthritis

DIP Arthritis Complications

• Pin-tract infection.
• Deep infection/osteomyelitis.
• Painful hardware.
• Nonunion.
• Cold intolerance.
• Nailbed deformity

DIP Arthritis Follow-up Care

• Post-Op: bulky hand dressing with volar splint. Keep elevated.
• 10-14 Days: Wound check, Stack splint applied. Active and passive PIP ROM encouraged.
• 6 Weeks: review xrays for signs of union.
• 3 Months: return to full activities if pain free and union evident by xray.

DIP Arthritis Review References

• Greens Hand Surgery
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