Rheumatoid arthritis and hand surgery- A systematic review

Abstract

0.5-1% of World Population is affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). The Prevalence of the disease in Indians is about 0.7%. Hand is the earliest and most common presentation in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Though there has been a lot of advancement in the medical management of RA patients with the advent of newer and safer drugs, hand surgery still plays an important role in the treatment of the patients. As with the medical field, there has been development in the surgical modalities too in the management of deformities and in the improvement of functional outcomes of Hand Surgery in RA patients. This review assesses the efficacy of operative management in Rheumatoid Hand.