Wrist osteoarthritis is gradual loss of articular cartilage and hypertrophic bone changes (osteophytes).

While in many joints this is part of normal aging (senescence), in the wrist osteoarthritis usually occurs over years to decades after scapholunate interosseous ligament rupture or an unhealed fracture of the scaphoid.

Pain intensity and incapability (limited function) are notably variable and do not correspond with arthritis severity on radiographs.

[3] Other post-traumatic causes such as intra-articular fractures of the distal radius or ulna can also lead to wrist osteoarthritis, but are less common.

[2][5] Scaphoid Non-union Advanced collapse (SNAC) is the pattern of osteoarthritis that develops in relation to the malalignment.

The hand is subdivided into three parts:[citation needed] The wrist consists of eight small carpal bones.

[citation needed] From lateral to medial and when viewed from anterior, the proximal row is formed by the:[citation needed] From lateral to medial and when viewed from anterior, the distal row is formed by the: Osteoarthritis of the wrist is predominantly a clinical diagnosis, and thus is primarily based on the patients medical history, physical examination and wrist X-rays.

The earliest sign is narrowing of the joint space between the radius and the scaphoid and an osteophyte off the tip of the radial styloid.

Because SLAC results from scapholunate ligament rupture, there is a larger space between the two bones, also known as the Terry Thomas sign.

When the scaphoid is made unstable by either the patient or by manipulation by the examining physician it is a dynamic instability.

[12] Computed tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are rarely used to diagnose SNAC or SLAC wrist osteoarthritis because there is no additional value.

The surgical options for stage II and III wrist osteoarthritis are excision of some of the bones with or without fusion (arthrodesis) of the others.

[1][15] The new articulation of the capitate with the lunate fossa of the distal radius is not as congruent as the former scaphoid-lunate-radius joint.

In part based on these concerns, some surgeon prefer to maintain the lunate in patients younger than 40 years proximal row carpectomy.

[19] An option for people who want to maintain some motion, and are willing to avoid using force with the hand, is total wrist arthroplasty.