View Single Post
  #2  
Old 11-19-2019, 12:59 PM
byudzai byudzai is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Bloomington, IN
Posts: 565
Default

i'm a radiologist and look at a lot of hand x-rays. that joint in your pinky is called the "distal interphalangeal joint" or DIP joint and the edges of it can overgrow with time due to prolonged strain. it's kind of toughening, but a little more like scarring -- extra bone grows around the sides of the joint in response to continue injury. it doesn't necessarily mean anything bad but can lead to pain and decreased motion in the joint. it's technically "osteoarthritis" which just means "mechanical wearing down of joints." Different from things like rheumatoid arthritis that are an actual disease process, not just wear and tear.
Reply With Quote