Joint inflammation can have various causes. In people with osteoarthritis, cartilage
– a smooth but tough layer of tissue that surrounds the ends of bones in a joint and which allows the bones to slide over each other during movement – is affected.
In the case of osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes thinner and less. To compensate for the loss of fluid, the body starts the process of «restoration» by stimulating the growth of tiny pieces of extra bone – osteophytes.
The joint capsule stretches, and the joint loses its shape.
Even though the early stages of osteoarthritis are asymptomatic, damage within the joint can eventually lead to pain and stiffness.
Osteoarthritis is more common in women and usually affects people over the age of 45.
Knee and hip joints are most often affected. Small joints of the hands, mainly the distal interphalangeal joints, can also be affected.
Today, late phenotypes of osteoarthritis associated with metabolic diseases, inflammation, excess weight, and injuries are distinguished.
Treatment of osteoarthritis is complex and includes non-pharmacological (physical therapy, for example), pharmacological (including NSAIDs, painkillers and medicines for intra-articular administration), and surgical methods of treatment. To choose treatment tactics, it is necessary to assess the stage of osteoarthritis, the presence of concomitant diseases, and carry out differential diagnosis with other conditions that are accompanied by pain in the joints.
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