Osteoarthritis: information & osteoarthritis specialists

Osteoarthritis is a non-inflammatory joint disease. The breakdown of joint cartilage or other damage to the joint leads to premature wear and tear of the joint, which is not normal with age. This is why it is also referred to as joint wear and tear.

Here you will find further information and selected arthrosis specialists and centers.

Osteoarthritis or arthritis?

In addition to the term arthrosis, the term arthritis is also frequently used. Both are joint diseases and have similar symptoms, usually pain in the joint.

Osteoarthritis is a wear and tear of the joint caused by worn cartilage and other joint structures.

Arthritis, on the other hand, is an inflammation of the joint. This inflammation can be caused by

• an infection, triggered for example by bacteria or fungi, or
• due to an autoimmune cause, such as rheumatism,

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© freshidea / Fotolia

In principle, all joints can wear out. However, the following are particularly frequently affected

• the hip joint(coxarthrosis),
• the knee joint(gonarthrosis) or
• the joints in the hand.

Causes and development of osteoarthritis

Years of overloading or incorrect loading of the joint structures can cause osteoarthritis. Possible causes of osteoarthritis include

• Years of being overweight,
• old injuries,
• misalignments such as bowlegs and knock-knees or hip dysplasia,
• medication that breaks down the cartilage substance,
• prolonged heavy physical strain or
• genetic predisposition.

This is why osteoarthritis usually occurs in older people. Younger people are rarely affected.

The video shows the development of osteoarthritis of the hip joint:

Heavy or unnatural strain on the joint causes the cartilage layer to break down. In addition, the bone structure beneath the damaged cartilage changes. Over the years, the cartilage is worn away more and more. As a result, the joint space becomes smaller so that the cartilage increasingly loses its function as a protective layer for the bone.

As a result, in the late stages of osteoarthritis, the bones involved in the joint come into direct contact. The bones rub directly against each other. At the same time, the joint widens due to the formation of bone spurs (so-called osteophytes).

Osteoarthritis can develop in all joints. However, the hip and knee are often affected © Henrie | AdobeStock

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

At the beginning of the disease, the patient often has no symptoms. It is only over time that the pain in the joints typical of osteoarthritis develops. Initially, it only occurs during exercise, then also during movement and finally also at rest (so-called pain at rest).

Pain may occur at the beginning of a movement. It then disappears again after a few moments (meters) (so-called start-up pain). The pain can also increase in intensity with age.

In some patients, the mobility of the joints is restricted. Morning stiffness often occurs and the joints are particularly painful in the morning after getting up. However, the pain usually does not last longer than 30 minutes.

Cartilage abrasion causes irritation of the joint. Fluid accumulates and the affected joints swell. The symptoms can worsen in cold or wet weather.

Gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the knee joint) is accompanied by pain and limited mobility. This in turn contributes to the breakdown of the muscles. Patients with osteoarthritis of the hip joint typically exhibit a relief limp. This means that the affected joint is loaded for a shorter time than the healthy joint. There is also an outward rotation of the damaged hip joint.

Diagnosis of osteoarthritis

Based on the symptoms of the disease and the patient's medical history, the doctor will consider osteoarthritis relatively quickly. The typical arthrotic changes can usually be reliably identified on an X-ray. These include

• Reduction of the joint space,
• altered joint surfaces and bone structure,
• osteophytes and
• possibly a deformation of the joint.

This may be followed by further imaging procedures(sonography, scintigraphy, MRI). This makes it easier to assess complications and the extent of the damage.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

There is currently no cure for osteoarthritis. The aim of treatment is therefore to restore joint mobility and alleviate pain.

In addition to conservative and medicinal treatments, surgical procedures are also available for this purpose. Medicinal osteoarthritis therapy consists of the administration of pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory agents. In addition, substances can be injected directly into the joint to make the joint more mobile.

In order to relieve the painful joints, overweight people should first reduce their weight.

As part of conservative osteoarthritis therapy, exercise without weight-bearing helps to slow down the progression of the disease. Other components of conservative osteoarthritis treatment are

• Physiotherapy,
• relieving aids,
• movement training,
• physical therapy (e.g. electrotherapy, massages, heat or cold treatments) and
• occupational therapy.

Conservative and medicinal osteoarthritis therapies are often no longer sufficient in cases of advanced joint wear and tear. Surgical osteoarthritis treatment may then be necessary.

With the help of arthroscopic procedures, unwanted cartilage and tissue residues can be removed and cartilage smoothed. For some time now, attempts have also been made to rebuild the cartilage by means of cartilage transplants.

If the joint cannot be saved, an artificial joint replacement (endoprosthesis) is required. This leads to freedom from pain and restoration of mobility, particularly in older patients.