[System disease or wear and tear?]

Area of Science:

• Medical History
• Rheumatology
• Orthopedics

Background:

• The classification of medical phenomena as diseases is historically contingent.
• Painful joint conditions have been conceptualized differently over time, impacting treatment approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the historical evolution of concepts related to arthritis and arthrosis.
• To analyze how changing views on aging versus disease and local versus systemic factors influenced the understanding and treatment of joint conditions.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of medical concepts and practices concerning arthritis and arthrosis over the past 150 years.
• Examination of differing perspectives between rheumatologists and orthopedic surgeons.

Main Results:

• Arthrosis has been historically debated as either a normal aging process or a distinct disease.
• Specialists adopted varied explanatory models and treatment strategies based on their conceptual frameworks.
• Over the 20th century, arthrosis gained recognition as an independent clinical entity.

Conclusions:

• The definition and treatment of diseases, such as arthrosis, are shaped by diagnostic and therapeutic practices.
• Disease concepts are not static but evolve with historical context and medical advancements.