Category: Orthopedics /
### Summary Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. ### What It Is Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joints. It can occur in any joint, but it usually affects your hands, knees, hips or spine. ### How It Affects The Body - **Pain:** Affected joints might hurt during or after movement. - **Stiffness:** Joint stiffness might be most noticeable upon awakening or after being inactive. - **Tenderness:** Your joint might feel tender when you apply light pressure to or near it. - **Loss of flexibility:** You might not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion. - **Grating sensation:** You might feel a grating sensation when you use the joint, and you might hear popping or crackling. - **Bone spurs:** These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, can form around the affected joint. - **Swelling:** This might be caused by soft tissue inflammation around the joint. ### Who Is At Risk - **Older age:** The risk of osteoarthritis increases with age. - **Sex:** Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, though it isn't clear why. - **Obesity:** Carrying extra body weight contributes to osteoarthritis in several ways, and the more you weigh, the greater your risk. - **Joint injuries:** Injuries, such as those that occur when playing sports or from an accident, can increase the risk of osteoarthritis. - **Repeated stress on the joint:** If your job or a sport you play places repetitive stress on a joint, that joint might eventually develop osteoarthritis. - **Genetics:** Some people inherit a tendency to develop osteoarthritis. - **Bone deformities:** Some people are born with malformed joints or defective cartilage. - **Certain metabolic diseases:** These include diabetes and a condition in which your body has too much iron (hemochromatosis). ### When To See A Doctor If you have joint pain or stiffness that doesn't go away, make an appointment with your doctor. ### Diagnosis - **X-rays:** Cartilage doesn't show up on X-rays, but cartilage loss is revealed by a narrowing of the space between the bones in your joint. An X-ray can also show bone spurs around a joint. - **Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI):** An MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of bone and soft tissues, including cartilage. ### Treatment Options - **Medications:** Acetaminophen, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Duloxetine. - **Therapy:** Physical therapy, Occupational therapy. - **Procedures:** - **Cortisone injections:** Injections of corticosteroid medications may relieve pain in your joint. - **Lubrication injections:** Injections of hyaluronic acid may offer some pain relief by providing some cushioning in your knee. - **Realigning bones:** If osteoarthritis has damaged one side of your knee more than the other, an osteotomy might be helpful. - **Joint replacement:** In joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty), your surgeon removes your damaged joint surfaces and replaces them with plastic and metal parts. ### Prevention - **Stay active.** moderate exercise can strengthen the muscles around your joints. - **Maintain a healthy weight.** Carrying extra weight puts extra strain on your weight-bearing joints, such as your hips and knees.
Data available upon request.
Discover the latest clinical trials and treatments for Osteoarthritis on JourneyForHealth.
View Full Analysis