Mechanisms may include:
(1) ischemia
(2) metabolic disorder
(3) neuropathy
Conditions associated with acro-osteolysis include:
(1) Raynaud’s phenomenon
(2) systemic sclerosis (scleroderma)
(3) Wegener’s granulomastosis
(4) psoriatic arthritis
(5) vinyl chloride exposure
(6) frostbite
(7) burns
(8) snake or scorpion envenomation
(9) hyperparathyroidism
(10) trauma
(11) Hajdu-Cheney syndrome (autosomal dominant)
(12) Giaccai syndrome
(13) Rothmund’s syndrome (autosomal recessive)
(14) osteogenesis imperfecta
(15) progeria
(16) leprosy
(17) Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
(18) peripheral neuropathy
(19) hypertrophic osteoarthropathy
Acro-osteolysis may be idiopathic but often a cause can be found.
