Osteoarthritis
27 million Americans age 25 and over are living with osteoarthritis today. The condition itself can vary dramatically between patients. The good news is osteoarthritis typically is not a crippling form of arthritis and most individuals find a regular regimen of activity, medication and weight control beneficial. However, since damage caused by osteoarthritis is not reversible, the time to seek help is now.
Fast Facts
Osteoarthritis is caused by cartilage breakdown in one or more joints in the fingers, hips, knees, feet, and the spine in the neck and lower back.
Being overweight, age, injury and/or stress to the joints, and family history can predispose you to osteoarthritis.
Your rheumatologist can make medical and physical treatment recommendations that will increase your comfort level.
The circles on this figure indicate joints that are commonly affected by osteoarthritis.
What osteoarthritis is
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease affecting middle-age and older people. It is characterized by progressive damage to the joint cartilage—the slippery material at the end of long bones—and causes changes in the structures around the joint. These changes can include fluid accumulation, bony overgrowth, and loosening and weakness of muscles and tendons, all of which may limit movement and cause pain and swelling.
Most commonly affected are the weight-bearing joints—the knees, hips and spine. Osteoarthritis in the knee and hip areas can generate chronic pain or discomfort during standing or walking. Deterioration of disks between spine vertebrae can cause back and neck stiffness and pain.
OA also can affect the fingers and any joints with previous injury from trauma, infection or inflammation. Some patients may develop bony knobs or “nodes” that enlarge finger joints, causing pain, stiffness or numbness and later restrict use of the fingers.
Most of those individuals with OA do experience joint pain during activity which can be relieved by rest. Those with later stage OA may suffer more severe pain and unstable joints, causing a sensation in the knees of “giving way” or “locking.” Some OA patients also experience overall stiffness in the morning or after prolonged inactivity, such as riding in a car. This stiffness typically lasts no more than half an hour.
What causes osteoarthritis
OA arises from problems with the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones. This slippery material serves as the body’s “shock absorber,” reducing friction in the joints as the body moves. When the cartilage is damaged or begins wearing away, tendons and ligaments can stretch painfully or, worse, bones can come into contact.
While no one factor appears to cause cartilage damage, researchers point to excess weight that adds to joint stress; sports- and work-related activities and injuries; and a family history of joint and cartilage weakness as contributing to OA. Age, in and of itself, is not a definitive cause of OA, but can worsen the deterioration process.
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage between the bones in the joint breaks down, and bony enlargement occurs.
Who gets osteoarthritis
OA strikes people of all ages, but is more common in older populations. In fact, 70% of people over the age of 70 have X-ray evidence of the disease. However, only half ever develop symptoms. Women are affected more often than men, especially with OA of the fingers and the knees.