Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and is characterised by a breakdown of cartilage in the joints.

OA of the hand affects approximately 20-30% of adults, and as we get older the prevalence of hand OA increases to over 50% in the over 60’s.

Despite this, research to date on effective treatments for OA of the hand has been minimal. The treatment options for hand OA have often been adapted from other areas of the body affected by OA that have been researched, such as the knee and hips.

In a recent study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers at the University of Hospitals of Geneva in Switzerland conducted the Finger osteoArthritis Chondroitin Treatment Study (FACTS), investigating the symptomatic effect of chondroitin sulfate (CS) on OA of the hand.

This randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial involved 162 symptomatic patients with hand OA. The participants received either 800mg CS or placebo once a day for 6 months.

What they found:

• CS decreased hand pain and increased hand function significantly compared to placebo
• The study suggested an improvement of morning stiffness in the hand in favour of the CS group, however further research is needed to confirm this
• Grip strength and the use of paracetamol were not significantly different between the two groups, however again further studies are required.

While researchers did discuss some limitations, such as sample size and restricting the inclusion of patients with severe symptomatic hand OA, they concluded that CS is an effective treatment for OA of the hand.


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