Inflammation as a Treatment Target in Hand Osteoarthritis: A Review of Previous Studies and Future Perspectives

Historically, osteoarthritis (OA) was considered a noninflammatory joint disease, distinct from systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. However, observational studies on hand OA have shown that synovitis is common and is associated with both pain and disease progression. Hence, targeting synovitis in hand OA could provide clinical benefits in terms of symptom relief and disease modification. Conflicting results have been found in several previous studies that have tested the efficacy of various antiinflammatory treatments, including oral and topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), oral and intraarticular corticosteroids, colchicine, and synthetic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). To date, prednisolone and methotrexate have shown the most promising results. Several ongoing studies, especially those investigating intraarticular antiinflammatory therapies, are expected to provide valuable insights for clinical practice.