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Osteoarthritis

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Clinical Foundations of Musculoskeletal Medicine

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent condition in the United States and around the world, and a major contributor to global disability. OA can be defined clinically, radiographically, and/or symptomatically. It is now recognized that OA is not simply a disease of aging and cartilage degeneration but is a complex disorder affecting all joint tissues. OA risk is influenced not only by age but also sex, race/ethnicity, genetic factors, body weight/obesity, injury/trauma, and alignment. It most frequently affects the knees, hands, feet, hips, and spine, often multiplies, and is characterized by pain that is worse with activity, minimal morning and rest stiffness, and findings of bony enlargement, crepitus, and no or mild swelling. Although there are typical imaging features in OA that can be useful for research purposes, imaging is generally not needed for diagnosis. The cornerstone of OA management is non-pharmacologic interventions like education, exercise, weight loss (if overweight), provision of assistive devices, and surgery when needed. Pharmacologic therapy does not affect the course of disease and is an adjunct for symptomatic management to allow the non-pharmacologic interventions to proceed. OA is a serious, chronic condition associated with increased comorbidities and mortality, and should be appropriately and individually managed as such.

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  1. Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Amanda E. Nelson

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Correspondence to Amanda E. Nelson .

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  1. Department of Orthopedics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Robert J. Esther

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Nelson, A.E. (2021). Osteoarthritis. In: Esther, R.J. (eds) Clinical Foundations of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42894-5_9

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