Osteoarthritis is due to the degeneration in the hyaline cartilage. The incidence increases with age. It mainly affects the weight bearing joints like knees and hip; sometimes it also affects finger joints.
The bony swellings involving distal interphalangeal joints are called Heberdens nodes and those involving proximal interphalangeal joints are called Bouchards nodes. The affected joint is painful, sometimes associated with swelling. Initially the pain is variable and intermittent, with long symptom free intervals. Later as the disease progresses pain becomes constant.
The therapies available for osteoarthritis are physiotherapy, glucosamine, chondroitin, diacerin, paracetamol, codeine and NSAIDS.
The routine laboratory tests are usually within normal limits. Radiography of the affected joints will show narrowing of the joint space, subchondral sclerosis and osteophyte formation. In severe osteoarthritis patient needs arthroplasty.
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