Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of thumb arthritis include:

• Female sex.
• Age above 40 years.
• Obesity.
• Certain hereditary conditions, such as joint ligament laxity and malformed joints.
• Injuries to your thumb joint, such as fractures and sprains.
• Diseases that change the normal structure and function of cartilage, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Although osteoarthritis is the most common cause of thumb arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the CMC joint, usually to a lesser extent than other joints of the hand.
• Activities and jobs that put high stress on the thumb joint.