OA- Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Risk Factors Flashcards
Epidemiology of OA: how common is it?
1/5 Americans have it; by 2040, about 26% of the population will have it
Epidemiology of OA: how expensive is it?
It costs way more to take care of a patient with OA vs. one who doesn’t
Patho of OA: what’s the usual cause of it?
Comes from natural wear and tear of the cartilage, joint, and surrounding tissues
OA patho: role of cartilage
It can stand a lot of compression; bending and flexing the joint compresses and decompresses the cartilage which works to disperse the force evenly throughout the joint
What is cartilage made up of?
Collagen and agricans (which is made up of proteoglycans and long hyaluronic acid molecules)
Cells that make up cartilage are called what?
Chondrocytes
Role of chondrocytes
They lay down and repair and restore cartilage
How fast do chondrocytes work to repair and restore cartilage?
They work pretty slowly to do this, so if damage is there, there’s an imbalance between the breakdown and resynthesis of cartilage and can lead to further cartilage loss and apoptosis of chondrocytes, increased injury risk
Are there nerve endings in cartilage?
No
How does OA pain start if there’s no nerve endings in cartilage?
It comes from damage of the surrounding areas (synovial capsule, increased joint fluid, micro fractures, damage to ligaments and the meniscus)
Are there blood vessels in cartilage?
No
How do the chondrocytes get nutrients?
You need regular movement in the joints in order for the chondrocytes to get nutrients
Classification of OA: primary
No known cause
Classification of OA: secondary
Classified by cause
Secondary causes of OA
Traumatic, congenital/genetic, metabolic, endocrinologic, neuropathic, hematologic, other (gout, RA)
