Osteoarthritis

Question 1

What is OA?

Answer 1

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a clinical syndrome of joint pain accompanied by varying degrees of functional limitation caused by joint breakdown in association with a maladaptive and insufficient repair process. It is characterised by localised loss of cartilage, remodelling of adjacent bone and inflammation.

Question 2

What are the risk factors for OA?

Answer 2

Increasing age
Female gender
Obesity
High bone density
& Bio-mechanical factors such as:  Previous joint trauma, occupational or recreational repetitive stresses, reduced muscle strength, joint laxity and joint malalignment

Question 3

What are the symptoms of OA?

Answer 3

1) Joint pain: exacerbated by activity and relieved by rest. Rest and night pain can occur in advanced disease.
2) Stiffness: No morning stiffness or lasting less than 30 minutes. Stiffness after rest.
3) Loss of function

Question 4

What are the signs of OA?

Answer 4

• Reduced range of joint movement.
• Pain on movement of the joint/ at extremes of joint movement.
• Joint swelling/synovitis (warmth, effusion, synovial thickening).
• Periarticular tenderness.
• Crepitus.
• Absence of systemic features such as fever, and rash.
• Bony swellings/deformity due to osteophytes
• Joint instability & muscle wasting

Question 5

What are the names of the bony swellings that occur in the fingers in OA and at which joints do they occur?

Answer 5

Heberden’s nodes @ DIP joints

Bouchard’s nodes @ PIP joints