A Guide to Knuckle Pads

You might be wondering what knuckle pads are. These are papules or nodules that you can find just on the skin of the knuckles, hence the name. Though they look far from normal, bulging over the knuckles, they are actually benign. Knuckle pads do not present any symptoms aside from the physical appearance that it brings forth and they are actually well circumscribed plaques with a smooth and firm appearance on the skin of the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, just to be more accurate in describing their location. Rarely have there been complaints of discomfort or an alteration in function. It's more on the aesthetics that people are concerned with. Here's a quick guide to knuckle pads that will help you understand them more.

Occurrence

Knuckle pads are actually quite common, but the numbers are hard to tell since people do not usually seek medical help for the condition. It has been observed that they do present more in patients with Dupuytren contractions. Age is also something that is hard to specify as this can occur to anyone, even children as young as three from repeatedly sucking their fingers.

Causes

There are several possible causes for having knuckle pads. They might be idiopathic (the reason they occur is unknown), genetic, or acquired due to recurring trauma, more commonly observed in boxers and in people whose work involve constant trauma on the area. They might also come with some other acquired conditions that are unknown at the moment. You can also observe them on the toes if your shoes do not fit well. So, it is important to purchase shoes that fit. Don't try to squeeze into those shoes that are a size smaller because you love them so much!

Treatment

Treatments for knuckle pads have been proven to be ineffective. In order to decrease or minimize the lesions though, it would help to remove the source of the repetitive trauma. Injecting corticosteroids can help decrease the lesion's size. Keratolytics are also often used to help not only soften the area, but to reduce the lesions as well. If the knuckle pads present a functional problem, surgical intervention is a very helpful option although the condition might appear again, especially if the habit or the activity that causes repetitive trauma is not stopped. With surgical intervention, scars might be left behind, some even forming keloids.