Osteoarthritis | Neocartil™ PRO

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If you live long enough, it's like death and taxes - you will likely get

OSTEOARTHRITIS

Dr. Todd Stitik

Overview

Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting millions of Patients Worldwide. Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine. The overall incidence of osteoarthritis is similar for males and females, and is strongly associated with age. Osteoarthritis occurs in two general forms, "primary" in which the underlying cause is not known, and "secondary" where a precipitating cause, such as trauma, can be identified. The majority of cases are classified as primary. All articular tissues have dysregulation of local turnover and repair processes and consequent joint failure. Pathologic aspects are represented by focal degeneration and progressive loss of cartilage and hypertrophy of the subchondral bone, joint margin, and capsule.

Osteoarthritis symptoms can usually be effectively managed, although the underlying process cannot be reversed. Staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and other treatments may slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and joint function.

Who’s Affected?

Although OA occurs in people of all ages, osteoarthritis is most common in people older than 65. Common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genes.

One in two adults will develop symptoms of knee OA during their lives.
One in four adults will development symp toms of hip OA by age 85.
One in 12 people 60 years or older have hand OA.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of osteoarthritis include:

Older age. The risk of osteoarthritis in creases with age.
Sex. Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, though it isn't clear why.
Obesity. Carrying extra body weight con tributes to osteoarthritis in several ways.
Joint injuries. Injuries, such as those that occur when playing sports or from an accident, may increase the risk of OA
Certain occupations. If your job includes tasks that place repetitive stress on a par ticular joint, that joint may eventually de velop osteoarthritis.
Bone deformities. Some people are born with malformed joints or defective carti lage, which can increase the risk of OA.

Bone

Symptoms

Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary, depending on which joints are affected and how severely they are affected. However, the most common symptoms are pain and stiffness, particularly first thing in the morning or after resting. OA pain, swelling or stiffness may make it difficult to perform ordinary tasks at work or at home. Simple acts like tucking in bed sheets, opening a box of food, grasping a computer mouse or driving a car can become nearly impossible. Many people believe that the effects of osteoarthritis are inevitable, so they don’t do anything to manage it. OA symptoms can hinder work, social life and family life if steps are not taken to prevent joint damage, manage pain and increase flexibility.

Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

Pain. Your joint may hurt during or after movement.
Tenderness. Your joint may feel tender when you apply light pressure to it.
Stiffness. Joint stiffness may be most noticeable when you wake up in the morning or after a period of inactivity.
Loss of flexibility. You may not be able to move your joint through its full range of motion.
Grating sensation. You may hear or feel a grating sensation when you use the joint.
Bone spurs. These extra bits of bone, which feel like hard lumps, may form around the affected joint.

Diagnosis

To diagnose osteoarthritis, the doctor will collect information on personal and family medical history, perform a physical examination and order diagnostic tests. During the physical exam, your doctor will closely examine your affected joint, checking for tenderness, swelling or redness, and for range of motion in the joint. Your doctor may also recommend imaging and lab tests.

Diagnostic Tests
A diagnosis of osteoarthritis may be suspected after a medical history and physical examination is done. Blood tests are usually not helpful in making a diagnosis. However, the following tests may help confirm it:

Joint aspiration. The doctor will numb the affected area and insert a needle into the joint to withdraw fluid. The fluid will be examined for evidence of crystals or joint deterioration. This test can help rule out other medical conditions or other forms of arthritis.

X-ray. X-rays can show damage and other changes related to osteoarthritis to confirm the diagnosis.

MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not use radiation. It is more expensive than X-rays, but will provide a view that offers better images of cartilage and other structures to detect early abnormalities typical of osteoarthritis.

Treatement

Osteoarthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease. There is no cure, but treatments are available to manage symptoms. Long-term management of the disease will include several factors: