Osteoarthritis: Causes, consequences and diagnosis
What are rheumatism and joint pain?
Joints are the connections between bones and vary in their degree of mobility (the knee is very mobile, unlike, for example, the sternocostal joints which are not). There are approximately 300 of them in humans.
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease characterized by pain in the joints, bones, and tendons. Joint pain impairs a person's quality of life, impacting sleep, leisure activities, work, and family life.
A few anatomical reminders about the joints
Joints are the connections between bones and vary in their degree of mobility (the knee is very mobile, unlike, for example, the sternocostal joints which are not). There are approximately 300 of them in humans.
Mobile, synovial joints, such as the knee, are discontinuous joints.
They allow movement and join two bones together through tendinous and fibrous structures. The surface of the bones in contact is covered with a layer of cartilage which constitutes the contact surface itself.
These cartilages have a low coefficient of friction and allow the two surfaces to glide against each other. To ensure lubrication of this mechanism, it is encapsulated in a synovial membrane filled with a lubricating fluid (synovial fluid).
What is the definition of osteoarthritis?
It is a disease of the cartilage in the joints. It manifests as pain, discomfort, and possible loss of mobility or stiffness in one or more joints. Generally, the pain is more intense upon waking and gradually decreases with movement of the joint.
It is characterized by a more or less rapid destruction of the articular cartilage which extends more or less rapidly to the other structures of the joint.
What are the risk factors that can contribute to the development of osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis, or rheumatism, was previously considered an inevitable consequence of aging; it now appears that it is a pathology with several risk factors involved, but that it is not systematic.
Among these risk factors, the following have been identified:
- The prevalence increases with age; nearly 80% of people over 80 are affected.
- Metabolic alterations induced by diabetes or obesity
- Excessive mechanical stress, whether due to overly intense physical activity or excess weight.
- Certain joint pathologies
- Certain anatomical peculiarities, such as valgus knees, for example
- A natural fragility of the cartilage
- Trauma
- Heredity
Which joints are affected by osteoarthritis?
Unfortunately, all joints are susceptible to developing osteoarthritis.
However, the frequencies vary depending on the location (70% for the spine, 60% for the fingers, 30% for the knee and 10% for the hips).
Apart from trauma, some joints are much more preserved, such as the ankle, elbow, shoulder and wrist.
What anatomical lesions are caused by osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a progressive destruction of articular cartilage. It progresses in flare-ups with chronic phases of moderate pain and acute, inflammatory phases accompanied by severe pain.
In osteoarthritis, fissures and ulcerations (geodes) are observed in the cartilage, which is unable to renew itself quickly enough to compensate for its destruction (decreased renewal of chondrocytes).
Bone also undergoes changes with a loss of homogeneity, the presence of condensed areas and others that are demineralized (osteoporosis).
Gradually, in reaction to excessive pressure, bony growths form on the edges of the bone at the joint; these are osteophytes, also known as bone spurs. These growths are palpable and visible on X-rays, but are not normally painful in themselves.
How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?
It is based primarily on the questioning and examination of the patient by his attending physician who will look for pain on palpation, joint deformities, effusions and joint limitations.
Further tests are often prescribed, such as an X-ray or blood tests. In cases of fluid buildup, a paracentesis may be performed.
In a future article we will discuss the proposed treatments and the hygiene and dietary measures to be implemented.
Osteoarthritis and Phytocea?
At Phytocea we have developed Kinesis. Kinesis is a nutraceutical food supplement designed to relieve joint pain and improve mobility.
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Sources
- IFOP
- Obesity and osteoarthritis: from a mechanical link to a metabolic link
- Lievense AM, Bierma-Zeinstra SM, Verhagen AP, van Baar ME, Verhaar JA, Koes BW. Influence of obesity on the development of osteoarthritis of the hip: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2002 Oct;41(10):1155-62. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/41.10.1155.
