osteoarthritis osteoarthritis, hand UMLS:C0263746 MEDGEN:472992 MONDO:0006632 EFO:1000789 Osteoarthritis of the hands usually happens as part of nodal osteoarthritis (a form of osteoarthritis that runs in families). This mainly affects women and often starts in your 40s or 50s, around the menopause (the time when menstruation ends and it’s no longer possible to have children).