Osteoarthritis

Question 1

What is osteoarthritis?

Answer 1

Slowly progressive destruction of articular cartilage that affects weight-bearing joints and fingers of older persons or the joints of younger persons subjected to trauma

Question 2

What is primary osteoarthritis?

Answer 2

Destruction of joints resulting from intrinsic defects in the articular cartilage

Question 3

What is secondary osteoarthritis?

Answer 3

Osteoarthritis that has an underlying cause, including congenital or acquired incongruity of joints, trauma, crystal deposits, infection, metabolic diseases, endocrinopathies, inflammatory diseases, osteonecrosis and hemarthrosis

Question 4

What are the biochemical abnormalities that occur resulting in osteoarthritis?

Answer 4

• Proteoglycan content and aggregation decrease and GAG chain length is reduced
  *

Question 5

What are the 4 radiologic findings that are found with a person with osteoarthritis?

Answer 5

• Narrowing of the joint space (loss of cartilage)
• Increased thickness of subchondral bone
• Subchondral bone cysts
• Large peripheral growths of bone and cartialge (osteophytes)

Question 6

Describe the general pathogenesis of osteoarthritis

Answer 6

1. Proteoglycans are lost and chondrocytes die
2. Cracking in cartilage is followed by basophilic staining matrix
3. New vessels grow from below the tidemark resulting in neovascularization and fibrocartilage deposition
4. Fibrocartilage plug gets worn away and synovial fluid leaks into subchondral space
5. Synovial fluid is lined off by osteoblasts

Question 7

What is the term for the shiny smooth subchondral bone underlying the cartilage?

Answer 7

Eburnated bone

Question 8

What is the typical clincal presentation of osteoarthritis?

Answer 8

Discomfort followed by activity relieved by rest. Discomfort caused by short periods of inactivity.