Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. It often affects the knees, hips, hands, neck and lower back and develops gradually.
Joint pain with activity
BIMARIDUR HEALTH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder in which joint tissues gradually change and can cause pain, stiffness and reduced movement.
Affected areaJoint cartilage, underlying bone, synovial tissues, ligaments and surrounding muscles can be involved.
ContagiousnessNot contagious.
01 • QUICK UNDERSTANDING
What is Osteoarthritis?
02 • BODY & MECHANISM
What happens in the body?
What happens inside the body
Joint tissues break down and remodel over time. Cartilage can become thinner, while bone and other joint structures change and may develop osteophytes.
03 • TYPES & CLASSIFICATION
Types and classification
OA may be classified by affected joint and by whether it is primary or secondary to another condition or injury.
04 • SYMPTOMS
Symptoms and warning signs
Stiffness after rest
Swelling
Reduced movement
Grinding or creaking
06 • CAUSES
What can cause this disease?
Joint aging and tissue changes; previous injury; abnormal joint structure; repetitive loading; genetic and metabolic factors.
07 • RISK FACTORS
Who may have a higher risk?
1
Older age
2
Overweight or obesity
3
Previous joint injury
4
Family history
5
Occupational joint stress
08 • DIAGNOSIS
How is Osteoarthritis diagnosed?
History, joint examination and selected X-rays or MRI. Blood tests or joint-fluid analysis may help rule out other causes.
Clinical evaluation
Joint tenderness and range of motion
Gait and functional assessment
Joint stability assessment
Laboratory tests
CBC when clinically indicated
Inflammatory markers when another diagnosis is suspected
Imaging and scans
X-ray
MRI when soft-tissue assessment is needed
Special or confirmatory tests
Joint-fluid analysis when gout or infection is suspected
09 • DIFFERENTIAL CONTEXT
Conditions that may look similar
Rheumatoid arthritis
Gout
Septic arthritis
Bursitis or tendon disorders
10 • EXTENT / STAGE
Stages or severity
OA severity is described clinically by symptoms, function and structural changes rather than a single universal stage system.
Important:
Staging or grading systems differ between diseases. The information here is educational and should be interpreted by a qualified healthcare professional in the context of the individual case.
11 • TREATMENT
How is Osteoarthritis treated?
Exercise, weight management when appropriate, physical therapy, assistive devices, topical or oral medicines and selected injections or surgery.
Medicines that may be used
Topical NSAID when appropriate
Oral pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory medicines when prescribed
Selected intra-articular corticosteroid injections
Medicine safety:
Medicines listed here are for educational information only. Do not start, stop, or change a medicine without professional medical advice.
12 • COMPLICATIONS
Possible complications
Persistent pain, reduced mobility, sleep disturbance, weakness, falls or disability may occur in advanced disease.
URGENT SAFETY INFORMATION
When should urgent medical help be considered?
Sudden hot swollen joint with fever
Inability to bear weight after significant injury
Severe sudden joint pain with systemic illness
If symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or life-threatening, seek emergency medical care immediately.
13 • OUTLOOK
Prognosis and recovery outlook
Symptoms can fluctuate and progress at different rates. Many people maintain useful function with individualized management.
How to interpret these statistics
Survival statistics describe outcomes in groups of people and cannot predict exactly what will happen to one individual. Prognosis depends on factors such as cancer stage, tumor biology, treatment response, overall health, and follow-up.
14 • EPIDEMIOLOGY
How common is it?
OA becomes more common with age and is influenced by previous joint injury, body weight, sex, occupation and genetics.
15 • PREVENTION
Risk reduction and prevention
Reduce injury risk, maintain healthy weight, strengthen supporting muscles and address joint problems early.
16 • PREPARE FOR YOUR VISIT
Questions you may ask your doctor
1
Which exercise is safe for my joint?
2
Do I need an X-ray or MRI?
3
When should surgery be considered?
Important medical information
BimariDur provides educational health information to help people understand diseases, symptoms, tests, and treatment concepts. It does not replace examination, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Do not delay professional medical care because of information read on BimariDur.