What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis (informally known as joint disease), which occurs when the cartilage (a cushioning surface or rubber like padding) that protects the ends of the bones at the joints, wears down over the time. This will cause the bone to rub against another bone, leading to pain, swelling and stiffness to the joint.

In healthy cartilage, there is a balance between buildup and breakdown of the tissue. This balance is lost in osteoarthritis, leading to cartilage damage and, over time, complete breakdown. Without the protection of the cartilage, bone damage occurs at the joint. In response, the body builds new bone, which leads to overgrowth and reduced mobility of the joints. In addition, the cartilage damage triggers an immune response, causing inflammation of other joint tissues and leading to further joint damage.

How does osteoarthritis affect you?

Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint, but it often affected joints in the hands, knees, hips, and spine. In the long run the joints can become weak and the pain may become worse. This disorder is often asymmetric where a patient may have severe, debilitating osteoarthritis of one knee with almost normal function of the opposite leg.

A day to day activity becomes challenging to perform due to the pain and stiffness caused by OA.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis