What is the clinical picture of osteoarthritis?
The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) are joint pain, stiffness, and locomotor restriction. Symptoms usually present in just one or a few joints in a middle-aged or older person.
What happens to cartilage during osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints gradually deteriorates. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that enables nearly frictionless joint motion. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, bone will rub on bone.
What are the radiographic features of osteoarthritis?
Radiographic Findings. The radiographic hallmarks of primary osteoarthritis include nonuniform joint space loss, osteophyte formation, cyst formation and subchondral sclerosis. The initial radiographs may not show all of the findings. At first, only minimal, nonuniform joint space narrowing may be present.
Which are the components of osteoarthritis pathology?
Pathophysiology
- Osteoarthritis is traditionally thought of as a ‘wear and tear’ disease which occurs as we age.
- The pathogenesis of OA involves a degradation of cartilage and remodelling of bone due to an active response of chondrocytes in the articular cartilage and the inflammatory cells in the surrounding tissues.
How is osteoarthritis clinically diagnosed?
Imaging. X-rays are typically used to confirm the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. X-rays can reveal assymetric joint space narrowing, osteophytes at the joint margins, joint space narrowing, and subchondral bone sclerosis. Subchondral bone is the layer of bone that is just below the cartilage.
What causes cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis?
The use of a joint leads to wear and eventual degeneration of the cartilage that cover the bones where they meet in the joint. This loss of protective cartilage causes the joint inflammation known as osteoarthritis, as bone starts to rub directly against bone.
What causes cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis?
Your cartilage can break down because of slow wear and tear over time or if you have an injury to the joint. The result is that the smooth cushioning of your joints gets rough and causes pain, stiffness, and inflammation. This friction often causes bony growths called bone spurs to form around the joints.
What is the best imaging for osteoarthritis?
MRI is currently the most important imaging modality for OA research, and available options include semiquantitative, quantitative and compositional analyses. Ultrasound is commonly used in hand OA studies and is particularly useful for evaluation of synovitis and for guidance of joint-related procedures.
How do you diagnose osteoarthritis?
Diagnosis
- X-rays. Cartilage doesn’t show up on X-ray images, but cartilage loss is revealed by a narrowing of the space between the bones in your joint.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An MRI uses radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of bone and soft tissues, including cartilage.
What is osteoarthritis pathology?
Pathological changes seen in OA joints include progressive loss and destruction of articular cartilage, thickening of the subchondral bone, formation of osteophytes, variable degrees of inflammation of the synovium, degeneration of ligaments and menisci of the knee and hypertrophy of the joint capsule.
What is stage 3 osteoarthritis?
Stage 3 (Moderate) Stage 3 OA is classified as moderate OA. In this stage, the cartilage between bones shows obvious damage, and the space between the bones begins to narrow. People with stage 3 OA of the knee are likely to experience frequent pain when walking, running, bending, or kneeling.
How reliable are cartilage histopathology assessment systems for osteoarthritis?
Comparison of cartilage histopathology assessment systems on human knee joints at all stages of osteoarthritis development Both scoring systems were reliable but appeared too complex and time consuming for assessment of lesion severity, the major parameter determined in standardized scoring systems.
Which histologic findings are characteristic of osteoarthritis (OA)?
Other histology features in grade 1 OA include focal or generalized cartilage matrix swelling (oedema), which in extreme form, leads to cartilage hypertrophy.
How many grades of osteoarthritis cartilage pathology are there?
Results: An OA cartilage pathology assessment system based on six grades, which reflect depth of the lesion and four stages reflecting extent of OA over the joint surface was developed. Conclusions: The OARSI cartilage OA histopathology grading system appears consistent and simple to apply.
Are hyaline cartilage chondrocytes in osteoarthritis hyperactive or inert?
This work demonstrated that hyaline cartilage chondrocytes in OA were hyperactive, not inert or effete. These studies, showing that osteoarthritic chondrocytes were very metabolically active, changed the concept of OA from a mechanical condition of cartilage “wear and tear” to a disease of biologic reaction.