Osteoarthritis

'Rare' genetic variants are surprisingly common, life scientists report

(Medical Xpress) -- A large survey of human genetic variation, published today in the online version of the journal Science, shows that rare genetic variants are not so rare after all and offers insights into h ...

Genetics created May 18, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Genes that promote cartilage healing protect against arthritis

(Medical Xpress) -- The same genes that promote healing after cartilage damage also appear to protect against osteoarthritis, a condition caused by years of wear-and-tear on the cartilage between joints, new ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Apr 27, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Osteoarthritis results from inflammatory processes, not just wear and tear, study suggests

In a study to be published online Nov. 6 in Nature Medicine, investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the development of osteoarthritis is in great part driven by low-grade inflammatory proces ...

Inflammatory disorders created Nov 07, 2011 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Sugar injections for knee arthritis may ease pain

(HealthDay)—Injections of a sugar solution appear to help relieve knee pain and stiffness related to osteoarthritis, a new study suggests.

Arthritis & Rheumatism created May 21, 2013 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

New theory on genesis of osteoarthritis comes with successful therapy in mice

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have turned their view of osteoarthritis (OA) inside out. Literally. Instead of seeing the painful degenerative disease as a problem primarily of the cartilage that cushions joints, ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created May 19, 2013 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (8) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers discover mushrooms can provide as much vitamin D as supplements

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered that eating mushrooms containing Vitamin D2 can be as effective at increasing and maintaining vitamin D levels (25–hydroxyvitamin D) as taking ...

Health created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

In the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage, study finds

Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Apr 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Physical therapy often just as good as surgery for knee problem

(Medical Xpress)—Either physical therapy or arthroscopic surgery can relieve pain and improve mobility in patients with a torn meniscus and arthritis in the knee, according to researchers from Washington ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 12, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study finds that hot and cold senses interact

A study from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine offers new insights into how the nervous system processes hot and cold temperatures. The research led by neuroscientist Mark J. Zylka, PhD, ...

Neuroscience created Apr 08, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Alkaptonuria: New hope for treatment of rare genetic disease

(Medical Xpress)—Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that a drug treatment administered at the earliest signs of a rare genetic disease could prevent the condition from developing in later ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Apr 04, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cartilage damaged from exercise may aid in early osteoarthritis detection

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder, affecting about one-third of older adults, and currently there is no cure. A study published by Cell Press April 2nd in the Biophysical Journal reveals how th ...

Medical research created Apr 02, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Team discovers new strategy to effectively treat, prevent osteoarthritis

Think new discoveries are the bee's knees? This one is even better—this research out of Rhode Island Hospital is the mice's knees. Researchers have found that adding lubricin, a protein that our bodies naturally produce, ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Mar 25, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Obesity, aging genes may play role in arthritis

(Medical Xpress)—Studying gene activity in tissue removed from injured knees, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that genes related to obesity and aging may ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Mar 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Protein may alter inevitability of osteoarthritis

Few things in life are inevitable – death, taxes, and, if you live long enough, osteoarthritis. No treatment will stop or significantly slow the disease, and joint replacement is the only definitive treatment. That may ...

Arthritis & Rheumatism created Mar 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Pregnancy permanently changes foot size

A new University of Iowa study confirms what many women have long suspected – that pregnancy permanently changes the size and shape of a woman's feet.

Health created Mar 01, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Osteoarthritis (OA) also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion. A variety of causes—hereditary, developmental, metabolic, and mechanical—may initiate processes leading to loss of cartilage. When bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, bone may be exposed and damaged. As a result of decreased movement secondary to pain, regional muscles may atrophy, and ligaments may become more lax.

Treatment generally involves a combination of exercise, lifestyle modification, and analgesics. If pain becomes debilitating, joint replacement surgery may be used to improve the quality of life. OA is the most common form of arthritis, and the leading cause of chronic disability in the United States. It affects about 8 million people in the United Kingdom and nearly 27 million people in the United States.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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