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Arthritis
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The term “arthritis”
simply means inflammation of a joint. When doctors talk about arthritis in
general, they are talking about degeneration of the joints, which can be a
result of age, overuse, or injury. Basically, the smooth cartilage surfaces of the bones that
allow gliding without any friction
become rough and cause friction with motion. This leads to pain,
swelling, stiffness, and loss of function of the affected joint. Some people
have generalized arthritis, whereas others have arthritis limited to one or a
few joints. This wear and tear form of arthritis is referred to as
osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. This is by far the most common
form of arthritis. Other types of arthritis are grouped together under the
term "inflammatory." An example of this type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis.
This is a body-wide disease process in which the immune system starts
attacking various joints throughout the body. Going unchecked, inflammatory
arthritis conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can destroy joints and lead to
significant disability. |
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The primary approach
to treating osteoarthritis is with anti-inflammatory medications, therapy,
activity modification, occasional bracing, and surgical intervention, when
necessary. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is primarily treated by
powerful immunosuppressive medications designed to control the body’s immune attack against itself. Sometimes surgery is also indicated to help particularly
problematic joints in someone with rheumatoid arthritis. |
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A drawing of a normal knee joint is
presented below. The surfaces of the bones that glide past each other are
covered with a thick layer of ultra-smooth articular cartilage. |
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Similar knee drawing representing moderate osteoarthitis, primarily
involving the medial (inside) compartment. Notice that the smooth articular
cartilage surface of the femur (thigh bone) has become rough due to the
development of fissures and erosion. Osteophytes (bone spurs) may also develop. |
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