What is Osteoarthritis?
Author: John Published Under: Health
Arthritis is used to refer to the more than 100 different types of joint disorders, which can often cause inflammation, pain, and reduced mobility. However, of the more than 100 different kinds of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the two most common types, which result in the overwhelming majority of cases. Of the two, osteoarthritis is much more common.
Osteoarthritis is sometimes called wear-and-tear arthritis and is a degenerative arthritis, which is much more common among seniors. In most cases, only a single joint or a small number of joints become infected with osteoarthritis, with the top joints of the finger being the most common.
Osteoarthritis can also be found in the hip and knee, although it is more common in the knee. Of those with osteoarthritis, around 20% experience osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, with about 21 million people being affected by osteoarthritis as a whole.
Who can Get Osteoarthritis
People of any age can develop osteoarthritis, but it most often occurs in those over 40 years old, with the risk of it occurring greatly increasing after this age. The majority of those over 65 show some signs of osteoarthritis.
Gender also plays a role in who gets osteoarthritis, with it being more common in females than males. This is especially true of knee and hand osteoarthritis.
Obesity has also been linked to osteoarthritis, with a quarter of those with osteoarthritis being overweight. It is thought that this is because more pressure and weight is put on the joints.
It is also not uncommon for an injury to have occurred or a surgery on the joint that develops osteoarthritis. Exercise prior to the full healing of the injury could also play a role. In adition some occupations are more at risk of developing osteoarthritis, with those who farm more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the hip and those who play soccer more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee.
Another factor is genetics, which in particular has been shown to play a role in the development of hand osteoarthritis in woman. In many cases, it is because the gene that is responsible for processing vitamin D is not properly functioning.
How Osteoarthritis Affects the Body
Usually, osteoarthritis occurs very slowly over time, with symptoms developing very slowly and subsequently getting much worse. The most common part of the joint to be affected by osteoarthritis is the cartilage, which provides a sort of cushion between pieces of bone in the joint. Normally, the cartilage allows the bones to freely move, but in someone with osteoarthritis, this cartilage begins to break down.
As the cartilage wears away, the bones of the joint begin to rub together, causing pain, swelling, and reduced mobility. The swelling is most often caused by lumps, which form on the bone. However, sometimes it is a result of fluid forming on the joint.
The joints will often make a noise as they move, which is referred to as crepitus. It is also common for the joint to become very stiff following exercise, which is referred to as gelling. Morning pain occurs in some with osteoarthritis, but the pain does not usually last for a long time, instead going away after a few minutes.
Over time, the joint will begin to loose its shape and structure, becoming deformed. Spurs that are called osteophytes form and small pieces of cartilage or bone may break away from the joint. When these small pieces of bone or cartilage do break away, inflammation and pain can occur.