The Journal of international medical research·2010
Osteoarthritis is not just
Area of Science:
Rheumatology
Orthopedics
Immunology
Background:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is often viewed as a degenerative
Rheumatoid disease (RD) is an autoimmune inflammatory condition
Purpose of the Study:
To investigate the inflammatory and metabolic characteristics of osteoarthritis (OA)
To compare OA findings with rheumatoid disease (RD) to challenge the mechanical
Main Methods:
Retrospective review of 100 consecutive osteoarthritis cases
Comparison with 100 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid disease
Analysis of clinical, radiological, and electron microscopical findings
Main Results:
Osteoarthritis presented as a polyarticular and symmetrical disease, commonly affecting knees and hands
Inflammatory signs such as morning stiffness, joint warmth, and effusions were frequent in OA
Radiological and electron microscopical evidence of calcium salt deposition was observed in many OA cases
Conclusions:
Findings challenge the traditional view of osteoarthritis as a noninflammatory
An active metabolic abnormality of articular cartilage, leading to destruction, calcification, and inflammation, is proposed as a more accurate model for OA pathogenesis