Signs, Symptoms & Types of Osteoarthritis
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Loading ...The most common signs associated with osteoarthritis are joint tenderness, crepitus on movement, and limited range of movement, joint effusion and variable levels of inflammation, bony swellings and wasting of muscles.
The symptoms however (although not too different) are, joint pain, joint gelling (stiffness and pain after immobility), joint’s instability and loss of function.
Having recognized the most common signs and symptoms we now move on to discovering the different types. However, make a little note in your mind that the diagnosis should always come through a qualified practitioner and not by yourself because the smallest of the symptoms at the outset could sometimes be a result of many complications.
Nodal osteoarthritis affects the joints one at a time over many years. The onset is usually painful and is associated with tenderness, swelling, inflammation and impairment of hands’ functions. One of its key characteristics is inflammation occurring around female menopause. The inflammations may settle after sometime but may leave painless bony swellings along with stiffness and deformity.
Hip osteoarthritis on the other hand affects about 7-25% of white adult Caucasians but the numbers are significantly low among African population. According to the radiological evidence of hip OA there are two subcategories. The first is the most common where joint space narrowing and sclerosis predominantly affect the weight bearing upper surface of the femoral head and adjacent acetabulum. Interestingly, this condition is known to be most prevalent among men.
Statistics show that knee OA is prevalent among 40% of individuals aged 75 and above. It is however, more common among women than in men and has a strong link with obesity. As a result of knee OA, the medial compartment is affected leading to a bow-legged deformity. The onset of knee OA could also be due to previous trauma, ligament tears and similar.
Erosive OA is a rare case where marked sub-chondral cysts can be seen in X-rays. One may have to take proper care and monitor the condition closely because erosive OA may lead to Rheumatoid arthritis over time.
Primary generalized OA is another condition which is usually seen together with nodal OA of the hands. It predominantly affects women and is associated with immune complex deposition. Meaning it may have an autoimmune cause behind it. That should also explain why its onset is often sudden and severe.
Crystal associated osteoarthritis is commonly seen together with calcium pyrophosphate deposition in the cartilage, also known as chondrocalcinosis. This condition too increases in frequency with age and affects knees and wrists most often than not.
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