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Osteoarthritis in older adults
1Division of Geriatric Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|February 25, 1998
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is common in older adults, causing pain and functional decline. Early detection and disease-modifying treatments are needed, while current management focuses on pain relief and rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Geriatrics
- Orthopedics
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease affecting older adults.
- It can lead to significant pain, functional impairment, and reduced mobility.
- The specific contribution of OA to falls in the elderly requires further definition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical and pathophysiologic features of peripheral joint osteoarthritis.
- To discuss current and emerging management strategies for OA.
- To examine the role of OA in falls and functional impairment in older individuals.
Main Methods:
- Critical assessment of existing literature on OA pathogenesis.
- Review of current and future therapeutic options for OA.
- Analysis of studies investigating OA's impact on falls and function in the elderly.
Main Results:
- No reliable disease markers for early OA detection or disease modification are currently available.
- Current OA management emphasizes safe pain relief and medical/rehabilitative interventions.
- The precise role of OA in causing falls and impaired self-care in older adults, compared to comorbidities, is not well-established.
Conclusions:
- Effective early diagnostic markers and disease-modifying pharmacologic agents for OA are urgently needed.
- Comprehensive management should integrate pain control with interventions to prevent or compensate for functional deficits.
- Further research is necessary to elucidate the determinants of disability, mobility loss, and falls in elderly patients with OA.