NODAL OSTEOARTHRITIS IS UNCOMMON AMONG NIGERIANS

Akintayo S. Oguntona, Ayodeji E. Fawole, & Tiwalade Sobowale

^­1,2&3Department of Medicine

Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. Sagamu.

Email: oguntonasa@yahoo.com   

ABSTRACT

Background-Osteoarthritis of the hands is a musculoskeletal disease with a considerable effect on patients’ lives.  The disease leads to pain in the affected joints with associated swelling, stiffness, deformity and gradual loss of function. Contrary to common belief, it is not necessarily a disease of older people, but also occur relatively early in life, impairing the patient’s capacity to work. Knowledge and research results in the field of hand osteoarthritis are however limited.