Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage that protects and cushions the joints breaks down over time. Eventually, the bones—formerly separated by the cartilage—rub against each other, resulting in damage to the tissue and underlying bone and causing painful joint symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is common in the finger and thumb joints, especially at the joints near the tips of the fingers and at the joint that joins the thumb to the hand, near the wrist.