Topic Overview

• Topic Overview
• Causes
• Symptoms
• What Happens
• What increases risk?
• When to call a doctor?
• Exams & Tests
• Treatment Overview
• Prevention
• Home treatment
• Medication
• Surgery

Although "osteo" means bone, and "itis" means inflammation, osteoarthritis is more accurately a disease of the cartilage , not the bone, and causes less inflammation compared with other types of arthritis. See an illustration of cartilage .

Osteoarthritis causes progressive breakdown of cartilage, the protective, cushioning tissue in joints . In this disease, the cartilage gradually breaks down until the bones, which were once separated by cartilage, rub against each other. This results in damage to the bones and underlying tissue, causing the painful joint symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is a major cause of disability in older adults. This disease most often affects the joints of the fingers, hips, knees, feet, or spine.

In most cases, the symptoms of osteoarthritis can be controlled with medication and home treatment. The rate at which osteoarthritis progresses varies from person to person