Osteoarthritis Affect Cartilage

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Osteoarthritis is a common type of joint disease that mainly affects cartilage. Cartilage is an unruffled elastic tissue, a rubber-like cushion that shields and protects the ends of long bones at the joints. Targeting over 20 million people in the United States it is now the foremost cause of chronic disability in people 70 years and older. Right knee pain ordinarily affects men with within the age 60 to 64. In women, knee pain is ordinarily affected in both the right and left knees with evenly balanced prevalence. It is caused when the head layer of cartilage wears off and breaks away. Under the cartilage, the bones then begin to chafe together causing pain, swelling, and lack of motion in the joint. As time goes by the joint starts to lose …show more content…
It is known as one of the more prevalent musculoskeletal disorders “Epidemiological studies estimate around 43 million affected patients in the United States alone and about 15% of the world population. It is the leading cause of activity limitation and absenteeism among working-age adults and is associated with a significant decline in function among older individuals.” (Carol Davila 2014). In the beginning, Osteoarthritis had been known to be a disease of articular cartilage, but as research progressed it indicated that the condition involved the entire joint. The deprived of articular cartilage had been viewed to be the key revision, but a joining of cellular changes and biomechanical pressure causes subordinate …show more content…
The sex hormone may have some involvement, but no hormonal treatment given after menopause has been a defense against Osteoarthritis. Heredity has also been a close attachment to the disease. Numerous studies have been put into place showing that there is a family resemblance for osteoarthritis of the fingers or knees. For example, a woman is at high risks having osteoarthritis of the fingers when her paternal mother or maternal or paternal aunt has had or has the disease. Although the multifactorial nature of osteoarthritis (OA) is well recognized, genetic factors have been found to be strong determinants of the disease. Evidence of a genetic influence of OA comes from a number of sources, including epidemiological studies of family history and family clustering, twin studies, and exploration of rare genetic disorders. (Tim D. Spector, MD, MSc, & Alex J. MacGregor, MD, MSc FRCP