Arthritis, Degenerative

Basics

Description

  • Degenerative arthritis or osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common progressive joint disease, with estimated prevalence of 54 million cases in the U.S. as of 2015 per CDC national statistics
  • This number is expected to continue increasing due to aging population and obesity
  • Found almost exclusively in the elderly

Etiology

  • Pathophysiology thought to be multifactorial, with main mechanisms below
  • Repetitive stress to synovial joints with aging
  • May be seen in younger patients secondary to joint trauma
  • Articular cartilage destruction:
    • Reactive changes in joint margin bone and subchondral sclerosis
  • Risk factors include age, obesity, trauma, genetics, sex, and environment

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