What causes osteoarthritis?

What causes osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones in your joints gradually deteriorates. Cartilage is a firm, slippery tissue that enables nearly frictionless joint motion. Eventually, if the cartilage wears down completely, bone will rub on bone.

What is considered osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. Some people call it degenerative joint disease or “wear and tear” arthritis. It occurs most frequently in the hands, hips, and knees. With OA, the cartilage within a joint begins to break down and the underlying bone begins to change.

What is Level 6 arthritis?

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is found in abundance in the synovial fluid and serum of patients with RA and the level correlates with the disease activity and joint destruction.

What are the examples of osteoarthritis?

Any joint can develop osteoarthritis, but symptoms linked to osteoarthritis most often affect the knees, hips, hands, spine and big toes.

• The knee. Osteoarthritis of the knee is very common.
• The hip.
• The hand and wrist.
• The back and neck.
• The foot and ankle.
• The shoulder.
• The elbow.
• The jaw.

What is the normal level of interleukin 6?

Results: The reported values for IL-6 in the blood of healthy donors varied between 0 and 43.5 pg/ml.

How does osteoarthritis affect the body?

Common signs include joint pain, swelling, and tenderness; stiffness after getting out of bed; and a crunching feeling or sound of bone rubbing on bone. Not everyone with osteoarthritis feels pain. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the hands, lower back, neck, and weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and feet.

What does Grade 3 osteoarthritis mean?

Stage 3 (Moderate) Stage 3 OA is classified as moderate OA. In this stage, the cartilage between bones shows obvious damage, and the space between the bones begins to narrow. People with stage 3 OA of the knee are likely to experience frequent pain when walking, running, bending, or kneeling.

What is end stage of osteoarthritis?

End-stage arthritis is the progressive wearing down of the cartilage that is present between the bones of a joint causing the bones to come in contact with each other and painfully rub against each other during movement of the joint. This results in severe pain with loss of movement and function.

What does interleukin-6 indicate?

On the other hand, Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a protein that is released by the immune cells of the body when fighting bacteria, virus or any other microorganism. High levels of IL-6 in the blood can indicate inflammation, infection, cardiovascular diseases or autoimmune disorders.

Is osteoarthritis life threatening?

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition. If left untreated, it’ll get worse with time. Although death from OA is rare, it’s a significant cause of disability among adults. It’s important to talk to your doctor if OA is impacting your quality of life.