Osteoarthritis affects almost everyone – the older we get, the more likely our joints can no longer withstand the constant strain. Excess weight adds to the workload on the joints. Along with arteriosclerosis and bone loss, joint wear and tear is one of the three most significant diseases of old age.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease that results primarily from wear and tear of the joint cartilage. In the long run, the entire cartilage layer on the joint surface is destroyed, gradually damaging the adjacent bone tissue as well. Osteoarthritis occurs mainly with increasing age and is one of the most common causes of pain and restricted movement in the joint area.
Osteoarthritis can occur anywhere in our body where joint cartilage is present. Most commonly affected are:
- The spine
- The knee (gonarthrosis)
- The hand
This is followed by the hip (coxarthrosis), the foot and toe joints, the shoulder and elbow. If the wear affects several joints at the same time, it is called polyarthrosis.
Causes of osteoarthritis
In principle, osteoarthritis occurs due to a mismatch between the stress placed on the joint and its load-bearing capacity. Thus, increased stress, for example due to overweight or competitive sports, can be just as underlying as incorrect loading, for example due to knock knees.
Other triggering or aggravating factors of osteoarthritis are:
- Metabolic disorders such as gout, diabetes or hemophilia (hemophilia).
- Joint injuries
- Acute or chronic inflammation of the joint (arthritis), respectively
Is osteoarthritis hereditary?
Osteoarthritis is not a hereditary disease, but the predisposition to develop osteoarthritis can be inherited in individual cases. Genetic factors play a role, particularly in the quality and resilience of articular cartilage. However, predispositions to leg axis malpositions and joint deformities that can trigger osteoarthritis are also hereditary.
Other risk factors for the development of arthrosis, such as metabolic disorders or rheumatic diseases, can be inherited. The exact cause is rarely found in detail, especially since several factors often interact.
Progression: What happens in osteoarthritis?
In the initial phase, the elasticity of the joint cartilage decreases. The cartilage tissue softens and tears. Load increasingly wears away cartilage, the layer thins, and the synovium tends to develop painful inflammatory reactions, especially in weight-bearing joints (activated osteoarthritis). This process progresses and the functioning joint surface becomes smaller and smaller.
Without the protective cartilage, the bone changes: It forms more bone substance to compensate for the loads. Bulge-like bone attachments form at the edges of the joint surface, increasingly hindering movement, and the joint deforms (arthrosis deformans).
Summary: What promotes osteoarthritis?
The following factors promote the development of osteoarthritis:
- Obesity
- Chronic overuse due to repeated minute injuries
- Deformities such as knock knees, bow legs or hip dysplasia.
- Bone fractures with joint involvement
- Lack of strengthening of the muscles surrounding the joint
- Meniscus damage
- Joint inflammation
- Injuries to the ligaments and joint capsule
