M18.0: Primary arthrosis of first carpometacarpal joints, bilateral

You have arthrosis in the saddle joint of your thumb on both hands.

The saddle joint of the thumb is the joint between the metacarpal bone of the thumb and one of the carpal bones. The hand is made up of a number of small bones. Below, at the wrist, are the carpal bones. Next along are the metacarpal bones. These are in the palm area. Each finger has a metacarpal bone. The finger bones begin after the metacarpal bones.

With arthrosis, the cartilage in the joint wears away. Cartilage covers the end of the bones that are connected to one another in the joint. Its smooth surface prevents the bones from rubbing against one another. With advancing age, the cartilage can wear away. This can happen more quickly if a joint is subjected to greater loads than usual.

Arthrosis can be accompanied by typical symptoms, such as pain in the joint. It may also no longer be possible to move the joint as usual.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).