Osteoarthritis (OA) can be defined as the degeneration of the hyaline cartilage covering articular surfaces. Secondary effects of the disease include the inflammation of the synovial membrane and subchondral bone (the bone in contact with the cartilage) and the formation of bony growths around the edges of the joint surface.
Osteoarthritis causes pain and functional impairment. It is closely linked to age, mostly affecting people in their 50s and 60s, and has a predisposition for the knee, certain joints in the hand (the distal and proximal interphalangeal joints), the hip and the small joints in the spine. However, the disease can occur in any joint and can affect one or more joints (polyarthritis).
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