Osteoarthritis Basics

OA can affect a variety of joints in the body, including the spine. Like OA of the hips and knees, OA of the spine (sometimes called spondylitis) is a degenerative disease. The spine is made up of many individual bones called vertebrae. Collectively, they provide a strong and flexible support for the body. The bones [...]

Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. It is a tough, semitransparent, flexible tissue that is composed of cartilage cells (chondrocytes) and tough fibers that are surrounded by a dense material made of fats and protein (sort of like a fruit salad suspended inside a bowl of Jell-O). Among the many tissues affected by [...]

OA is a disease of the joints. It predominantly affects the cartilage that lines the bones of the joint. Cartilage is the dense rubbery tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. In healthy people, its surface is smooth and slippery, which allows the bones in a joint to glide over one another [...]

Despite extensive research, scientists still do not know what causes OA. It is theorized that some type of cartilage damage starts a destructive process that, in genetically susceptible people, results in OA. While the cause of OA is unknown, many factors are often associated with its development. Aging A person’s risk for OA increases as [...]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition that affects the joints. It occurs more frequently as we age. Of the more than 100 different types of arthritic conditions distinguished, OA is the most common, affecting more than 20 million people in the United States along. It is estimated that if everyone in the U.S. population who [...]