Osteoarthritis
Keyword(s):
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disorder of synovial joints and is characterized by the combination of focal hyaline cartilage loss and accompanying subchondral bone remodelling and marginal new bone formation (osteophyte). It has genetic, constitutional, and environmental risk factors and presents a spectrum of clinical phenotypes and outcomes. OA commonly affects just one region (e.g. knee OA, hip OA). However, multiple hand interphalangeal joint OA, usually accompanied by posterolateral firm swellings (nodes), is a marker for a tendency towards polyarticular ‘generalized nodal OA’.