Osteoarthritis (OA) is also known as degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear arthritis. It is a joint condition that develops over time and is the most common form of arthritis. It typically occurs in older adults, but can also be caused by injury or obesity.
Arthritis and osteoarthritis are often confused because both are common in both men and women, and both cause pain and affect one or more joints. However, they are distinct diseases. Osteoarthritis affects 10% of men over 60, while it affects 13% of women.
What is osteoarthritis and what causes it?
It's a joint disease where the tissues in the affected joint deteriorate over time. It generally affects older adults more, as it commonly develops with age.
Joints are the skeletal components that allow two bones to connect and, therefore, allow movement. Cartilage, which contains collagen and protects the ends of bones, often wears down over the years, making movement difficult. It can cause damage to any joint, with the hands, knees, hips, and spine being the most common.
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Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis symptoms often develop slowly and worsen over time. These include:
- Pain: Joint pain with every movement. The affected joints may be painful during or afterward.
- Loss of flexibility: It may not be possible to move the joint through its full range of motion.
- Touch sensitivity: The joint may be tender when applying light pressure on or near it.
- Swelling and inflammation: Swelling may occur due to inflammation of the surrounding soft tissues.
- Rigidity: It is most noticeable upon waking or after being inactive.
- Grazing sensation in the joint: A noisy sensation may be felt when moving the joint.
- Osteophytes: Additional pieces of bone form around the affected joint.
Types of osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis:
This is the most common type of OA. It can be classified in two ways:
- Primary knee osteoarthritis: It is related to aging and genetics. It is linked to the wear and tear of the different parts that make up the knee.
- Secondary knee osteoarthritis: It is usually caused by a previous injury, such as a fracture or ligament injury. It most commonly affects athletes and overweight people.
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Cervical osteoarthritis or cervicoarthrosis:
It occurs when the cartilage in the cervical spine joints is injured or degenerates. It is more common in people over 50 years of age. Sometimes it causes no symptoms and can therefore go unnoticed.
Cervical osteoarthritis or cervicoarthrosis:
It occurs when the cartilage in the cervical spine joints is injured or degenerates. It is more common in people over 50 years of age. Sometimes it causes no symptoms and can therefore go unnoticed.
Hand osteoarthritis:
It is the second most common type of osteoarthritis. It is highly visible as it can deform the fingers, affecting writing. Functionality may be affected, causing the joint to become slightly bent or deviated.
Hip osteoarthritis:
It affects the upper leg. Its main symptom is pain located in the groin and the inner part of the muscle. Occasionally, the discomfort can extend to the knee.
Lumbar osteoarthritis:
It occurs when the cartilage in the lumbar spine joints is injured or degenerates. In most cases, there is no specific cause; therefore, it is considered to be due to genetic and environmental factors. The most common symptom is pain when moving or overloading the lumbar spine, which improves with rest.
Causes of osteoarthritis
Cartilage, the firm, elastic tissue that protects bones in joints, allows them to glide over each other. When it breaks down or wears down, the bones rub together, causing the pain, swelling, and stiffness of osteoarthritis. As osteoarthritis progresses, bone spurs or extra bone can form around the joint, causing the ligaments and muscles around the joint to become stiffer and weaker.
Other causes of osteoarthritis include:
Heredity: It's often a disease that can be inherited through family members. According to studies, there's a 50% to 65% chance that family members will inherit OA.
Overweight: Being overweight increases the risk of OA in the hip, knee, ankle, and foot joints. This is because the extra weight causes increased wear and tear.
Sports: Playing sports involves impact on the joints. Twisting or throwing increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
Fractures: Some fractures or joint injuries can lead to OA.
Bleeding disorders: Disorders such as hemophilia (a condition where blood is slow to clot) that cause bleeding into the joint.
How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?
To diagnose a patient with osteoarthritis, the appropriate physician will perform a clinical examination, examining the affected joint for tenderness, swelling, redness, and flexibility. X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to obtain images of the joint.
- RM: An MRI is not usually necessary to diagnose osteoarthritis, but it helps provide more information in complex cases.
- X-rays: Cartilage does not appear on X-rays, however, cartilage loss is revealed by the narrowing of the space between the bones of the joint.
After the images are taken, laboratory tests (blood or joint fluid) help confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment for osteoarthritis
Treatments for osteoarthritis depend largely on the stage and the patient's age. This disease cannot be reversed; however, pain can be reduced and mobility improved.
For each stage of osteoarthritis, a different treatment is recommended to relieve symptoms. Some of the treatments used include:
Therapies:
Physiotherapy
Help with exercises to strengthen the muscles around the joint, restore flexibility, and reduce pain. This treatment is usually used for acute osteoarthritis.
Occupational therapy
Helps you discover the best ways to perform everyday tasks without putting stress on the affected joint.
Medications:
Bioactive collagen peptides
Medications containing this substance improve the condition of bones and joints, as hydrolysis maintains the amino acids in collagen and eliminates unwanted materials.
Anti-inflammatories
Medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium often relieve the pain of osteoarthritis. Like physical therapy, these medications are beneficial in cases of acute osteoarthritis.
Paracetamol
Helps patients with moderate pain. It's important to take the amount recommended by your doctor.
Duloxetine
This medication is approved to treat chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis.
Food supplement
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Surgeries and injections:
Hyaluronic acid
In a second stage, injections can relieve pain. Cartilage worn down over the years is regenerated with the help of hyaluronic acid and even chondroitin.
Bone realignment
An osteotomy may be useful when the knee is severely damaged on one side more than the other.
Arthroplasty
If the patient is in stage 3, the damage is usually severe, requiring surgery. Arthroplasty is a joint replacement surgery, where the surgeon removes the damaged joint surfaces and replaces them with metal or plastic pieces.
It is important to go to the doctor
When you experience persistent joint pain or stiffness. However, it's advisable to see a primary care physician as soon as you notice even the slightest pain. They will refer you to a specialist in joint disorders (rheumatologist). This way, if you suffer from osteoarthritis, you can prevent its progression and treat it promptly with the appropriate medications and supplements.
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