Osteoarthritis Orthopaedic Osteoarthritis is the inflammation of the joints that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone.
What could have contributed to osteoarthritis? • Age. Natural repair mechanisms become less efficient in some people as they age. • Obesity. Obese people are more likely to develop knee and hip osteoarthritis because of an increased load on their joints. • Previous joint injury. Joints with previous injury will have an increased risk of wear and tear. • Overuse of a joint. Overuse of certain joints increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
• Heredity. Some people inherited defect genes that are responsible for making cartilage. Symptoms • Pain. Your joints may ache or the pain may feel burning or sharp. • Stiffness. Getting up in the morning can be hard. Your joints may feel stiff and creaky for a short time until you get moving. You may also get stiff from sitting. • Muscle weakness. The muscles around the joint may get weaker. • Swelling. Osteoarthritis may cause a little swelling, especially in the knees. • Deformed joints. Joints can start to look like they are in the wrong shape, especially as arthritis gets worse. • Reduced range of motion and loss of use of the joint. As your arthritis gets worse, you may not be able to fully bend, flex, or extend your joints.