Posted: July 14th, 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA)

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as wear-and-tear arthritis, is the most prevalent form of arthritis affecting millions of people worldwide. In the United States, OA is ranked the third leading cause of disability and is estimated to affect about 32 million adults. Osteoarthritis affects joints making them stiff and painful. Bones in the joint regions are connected and held together by a protective tissue known as cartilage that allows the bones to move smoothly. OA causes the cartilage to break down and wear out and making the underlying bones to change. With damaged cartilage, the exposed bones begin to rub against each other, causing inflammation, pain, and stiffness in the affected joint.
Osteoarthritis can develop at any age, but older adults above 60 years are at an increased risk. OA can affect any joint in the body. However, the most impacted joints are those that tend to bear the most weight, including the hands, knees, hips, and spine. It also starts gradually and gets worse over the years.
Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Because OA develops in stages, symptoms also build over time. During the initial stages of development, symptoms can be very mild and unnoticeable. Over there years, symptoms begin to become more apparent. In the later stages, symptoms are obvious and hard to ignore. Pain and stiffness in advanced stages can be severe enough to cause difficulties in performing even the most basic activities like self care.
Some of the most common symptoms of OA include pain and stiffness in the joint areas, loss of flexibility, inflammation, weakness, a clicking/cracking sound around the joint, and joint instability. The affected joint may also appear hard and knobbly due to the growth of an extra bone and soft because of fluid accumulation in the joint capsule.
Causes
The main cause of osteoarthrosis is unclear. However, age is believed to be the leading cause since the condition deteriorates with time. Other factors that are alleged to increase the risk for developing OA include obesity, being female, joint injury, underlying conditions like diabetes and heart conditions, genetics, congenital bone deformities, and other joint diseases like gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
Diagnosis and treatment
No treatment can restore lost cartilage and cure OA. However, various treatment plans can help manage OA, reduce pain, and maintain optimum mobility. Treatment plans integrate both medication and non-pharmacological methods and focus on managing pain and slowing down cartilage loss. Some common medicines used include analgesics, which help relieve pain, anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids used to control swelling. Non-drug methods involve weight loss, exercise, and different types of therapy. At last resort, surgery can be done to replace damaged joints and restore mobility.
References
Chen, D., Shen, J., Zhao, W., Wang, T., Han, L., Hamilton, J.L. and Im, H.J., 2017. Osteoarthritis: toward a comprehensive understanding of pathological mechanism. Bone research, 5(1), pp.1-13.
Loeser, R.F., 2017. The role of aging in the development of osteoarthritis. Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, 128, p.44.
Vina, E.R. and Kwoh, C.K., 2018. Epidemiology of osteoarthritis: literature update. Current opinion in rheumatology, 30(2), p.160.

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