Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a widespread kind of rheumatic disease that affects millions of individuals worldwide. It is also called as ‘osteoarthrosis’ since it is an abnormal condition of the synovial joints. Common symptoms include chronic joint pain, stiffness, swelling and tenderness, which can be worsen over time and may cause depression and sleep disturbances.

Osteoarthritis is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage, gradual degradation, and softness. It involves continuous structural and biochemical alterations to the synovium, meniscus, periarticular ligaments, and subchondral bone across the whole joint. These changes result in the characteristic features of osteoarthritis such as subchondral bone thickening, different levels of inflammation of the synovium, synovial proliferation, meniscal degeneration, bone marrow lesions, cyst formation and the development of osteophytes. The progression of disease occurs very slowly that may culminate in significant joint destruction, pain, and disability in older adults.

A variety of etiological factors contribute to osteoarthritis which includes advancing age, gender, joint injury, obesity, metabolic diseases, and genetic predisposition. Genetic studies revealed that several number of growth factors, including TGF-β and WNT3A and transcription factors, such as smad3, HIF-2αand β-catenin, play a significant role in the development of osteoarthritis. Indeed, it is required to unravel the interplay and mechanisms of cross-talk between these signalling factors, which may be associated with osteoarthritis development and progression.

Osteoarthritis is not a curable disease because the genetic and molecular pathways involved in disease origin and development remain unclear. Joint replacement for end-stage illness is currently the only treatment option. Therefore, doctors use a multidisciplinary approach depending on the patient’s requirements to treat osteoarthritis successfully. Regular physical exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and receiving pain medications can reduce the symptoms of the disease. [Zimam Mahmud]