Medicine and Health related Information

What is Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease or wear and tear arthritis. Mostly people who have crossed 60 years of age are commonly affected by this disease. Changes in the joint in osteoarthritis are as follows.

The joint tissues are elastic and flexible in a healthy joint which permits smooth movement of the joint. In patients affected by osteoarthritis its pathology is characterized by extensive growth of bone on one hand and loss of cartilage on the other. In osteoarthritis patients the ends of the bones remain unprotected as the cartilage gradually wears away and this leads to improper gliding surface causing pain while moving the joint.

The ends of the bone become thickened because of the formation of spurs of bone called ‘osteophytes‘. Moreover bits of bone and the cartilage may loosely float in the joint space which may contribute to pain while moving of joint. The pain worsens when the cartilage completely worn out, the bone end then grinds painfully together when joint moves. The surrounding tendons, ligaments and muscles are also indirectly affected and become weak.

The referred pain in people affected by osteoarthritis of hip is felt in their knee and osteoarthritis of spine can cause pressure on nerves which causes pain in the arms or legs.

Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint but most commonly it affects the weight bearing joints such as those of hips, knees, feet and spine. The bones of the neck and the lower back are also commonly affected. Rarely it affects the joints of the wrists, elbows, ankles and finger joints because of any external injury.

There is a type of osteoarthritis called ‘chondromalacia’ in which there is softening and loss of integrity of the knee cap or patella. The patients who have this problem may give a history of the knee cap slipping out of place. Such patients complain of pain in the knee joint which worsens after climbing of stairs or after an unaccustomed physical activity.

Causes of Osteoarthritis

When it comes to causes of osteoarthritis it is broadly divided into two categories.

1. PRIMARY OSTEOARTHRITIS- In this type of osteoarthritis the degenerative changes occur in an otherwise normal joint and it is also inherited.
2. SECONDARY OSTEOARTHRITIS- In this type of osteoarthritis the most common factor is thought to be excessive stress on joints. The perfect matching of the cartilage surfaces is lost if a joint is deformed or dislocated and results in osteoarthritis. Similarly if a fracture is not properly set the bones heal badly and the neighbor joints are put to abnormal stress leading to osteoarthritis.

Because of these reason workers in certain occupation are more likely to suffer from degenerative changes in their joints because of unequal or excessive stressing of a joint like elbows in pneumatic drill workers, the knees in coal miners and the back of those lifting heavy weights. If the athletes and other sports persons appear to develop osteoarthritis if they fail to let an injured joint heal properly before resuming their game or the usage of joint again. Obesity may also lead to secondary osteoarthritis in the weight bearing joints.

Investigations required in case of osteoarthritis are routine blood tests, urine analysis, blood biochemistry and x-rays of the affected joint are usually advised. In patients of osteoarthritis x-ray findings shows narrowing of the joint space, presence of bone cysts surrounding the joint. CT and MRI scan may be needed in patients in whom symptoms point to involvement of spine and narrowing of spinal column.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Nagging ache or painful feeling in the affected joints are the most common symptoms. There may be difficulty in movement and may feel a little stiff and mostly these symptoms take several months to develop in middle aged or elderly people. One of the common complaint is aching is most and worse during cold and damp environment. One of the common forms of osteoarthritis particularly in women involves the joints of the fingers, where knobby lumps called “heberden’s nodes” appear at the side of the end joints and knuckles. Several fingers may also get involved which leads to pain and discomfort. The pain increases after injury to the joint which may swell up with fluid. Overuse of the affected joint makes symptoms worse. However the pain and stiffness settle with rest and treatment. Muscle wasting and joint deformity may also occur in long standing cases.

Maintaining a good lifestyle is best method for treatment of arthritis and it is by losing weight. Even a minor amount of weight loss will show great difference. Topical application of heat or ice may be useful. There is no specific treatment available but however a recent research conducted shows an Indian herb called ‘Frankincense Salai’ or ‘Boswellia serrata’ can treat osteoarthritis effectively.