Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis typically caused by age-related wear-and-tear. In diagnosis, it must be distinguished from other types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis (second-most common type, affecting younger adults and juveniles), and various types of secondary arthritis that are caused by an underlying condition: reactive arthritis caused by an infection, psoriatic arthritis from psoriasis, gonococcal arthritis from gonorrhea, and others. Other possible conditions with arthritis-like symptoms include ankylosing spondylitis (affecting the spine) and gout.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

• Joint symptoms
  • Joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • Joint tenderness
  • Tenderness around joint

See full list of 52 symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Osteoarthritis:

• Home Andropause Tests
• Prostate Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Prostate Tests
  • Home PSA Antigen Tests
  • Home Testosterone Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Osteoarthritis

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Osteoarthritis

• Physical examination
• X-rays
• Tests to rule out other types of arthritis

Read more about tests for Osteoarthritis

Wrongly Diagnosed with Osteoarthritis?

• Misdiagnosis of Osteoarthritis
• Underlying causes of Osteoarthritis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)

Misdiagnosis and Osteoarthritis

Psoriatic arthritis often undiagnosed cause of joint conditions: Patients with the skin condition psoriasis can also have the related arthritis subtype called "psoriatic arthritis". This arthritic condition tends to be overlooked, even in patients with diagnosed psoriasis. See misdiagnosis of arthritis or psoriasis....read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Osteoarthritis

Causes of Osteoarthritis

• Joint injury
• Gout
• Lupus
• Viral hepatitis

Read more about causes of Osteoarthritis

More information about causes of Osteoarthritis:

• Underlying causes of Osteoarthritis
• Osteoarthritis as a complication caused by other conditions
• Osteoarthritis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Osteoarthritis

Treatments for Osteoarthritis

• Weight reduction - being too heavy does not help and strains weight-bearing joints
• Regular exercise - under medical supervision
• Rest
• Pain-relief
  • Acetaminophen

See full list of 62 treatments for Osteoarthritis

Videos for Osteoarthritis

Patient Surveys for Osteoarthritis

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Osteoarthritis
  Take Survey  View Results

Reseach about Osteoarthritis

Visit our research pages for current research about Osteoarthritis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Osteoarthritis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Osteoarthritis include:

• Understanding the Differences in the Management of Patients With Arthritis of the Knee or Hip - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• An Effectiveness, Safety and Quality of Life Measures With Hydromorphone HCL, Dilaudid CR (Controlled Release) - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - OROS hydromorphone HCL ; OxyContin
• A Safety and Effectiveness Study of Acetaminophen (4000 Mg/Day) and Naproxen (750 Mg/Day) in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - acetaminophen
• Trial Evaluating Devil's Claw for the Treatment of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Harpagophytum procumbens (Devil's claw)
• Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI): A Knee Health Study - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)

See full list of 267 Clinical Trials for Osteoarthritis

Prevention of Osteoarthritis

Prevention information for Osteoarthritis has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Osteoarthritis.

• Avoid joint injury
• Weight loss - reduces the stress on knees, hips, and other joints.
• Estrogen replacement therapy - some studies found women at lower risk of osteoarthritis but further study needed.

Read more about prevention of Osteoarthritis

Statistics for Osteoarthritis

• Medical statistics for Osteoarthritis
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Osteoarthritis
• Death and Mortality statistics for Osteoarthritis
• Society statistics for Osteoarthritis

Types of Osteoarthritis

• Knee osteoarthritis
• Hand osteoarthritis
• Finger osteoarthritis
• Thumb osteoarthritis
• Wrist osteoarthritis

See full list of 7 Types of Osteoarthritis

Stories from Users Related to Osteoarthritis

• My joints are getting worse Please Help
• degenerative joint disease in spine
• Joints clicking????
• Noisy joints - why?
• All my joints are going wrong!
• my clicking joints
• Joints Inflamation?
• Wierd joint feelings
• Weird Joint popping that is spreading..

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Osteoarthritis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Osteoarthritis

Handout on Health Osteoarthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Osteoarthritis (AH-stee-oh-ar-THREYE-tis) is the most common type of arthritis, especially among older people. Sometimes it is called degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Osteoarthritis: NIAMS)

Do I have Arthritis: NIAMS (Excerpt)

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. This is the form that usually comes with age and most often affects the fingers, knees, and hips. Sometimes osteoarthritis follows an injury to a joint. For example, a young person might hurt his knee badly playing soccer. Then, years after the knee has apparently healed, he might get arthritis in his knee joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the body's own defense system doesn't work properly. It affects joints, bones, and organs--often the hands and feet. You may feel sick or tired, and you may have a fever.

Other conditions can also cause arthritis. Some include:

• Gout, in which crystals build up in the joints. It usually affects the big toe.
  
  

• Lupus (LOOP-us), in which the body's defense system can harm the joints, the heart, the skin, the kidneys, and other organs.
  
  

• Viral hepatitis (VY-rul HEP-ah-TY-tis), in which an infection of the liver can cause arthritis.

Do I Have Arthritis?  

What Can I Do?  

How Will the Doctor Help?  

How Should I Use Arthritis Medicine?  

What If I Still Hurt?