When a joint develops osteoarthritis, some of the cartilage covering the ends of the bones gradually roughens and becomes thin, and the bone underneath thickens.
All the tissues within the joint become more active than normal – as if your body is trying to repair the damage:
The bone at the edge of your joint grows outwards, forming bony spurs called osteophytes.
The synovium (the inner layer of the joint capsule which produces synovial fluid) may thicken and make extra fluid. This causes your joint to swell.
The capsule and ligaments (tough bands that hold the joint together) slowly thicken and contract as if they were trying to make your joint more stable.
Sometimes your body’s repairs are quite good and the changes inside your joint won’t cause pain or problems.
In severe osteoarthritis, the cartilage can become so thin that it doesn’t cover the ends of your bones. Your bones rub against each other and start to wear away. The loss of cartilage, the wearing of bone and the bony spurs can change the shape of your joint, forcing your bones out of their normal position.
arthritisresearchuk.org
Diagnosis tests
Typical osteoarthritis features seen on X-ray include joint space narrowing, bone spurs (osteophytes), subchondral sclerosis and subchondral cysts.
Blood tests are not required for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis but may be performed to exclude other diseases such as:
Spinal arthritis – also called degenerative joint disease – is the breakdown of the cartilage between the facet joints in the spine, leading to low back pain and/or leg pain.
Occupation- Certain occupations, such as jobs that involve lots of repetitive motions or heavy lifting like construction, can put more stress on the cervical spine.
Osteoarthritis is characterised by pain that is worse with activity and associated with only a short period of early morning stiffness; in contrast, Rheumatoid arthritis commonly causes early morning stiffness lasting more than one hour.
Clinical Pharmacist, CP, April 2015, Vol 7, No 3;7(3):DOI:10.1211/PJ.2015.20068288
Gout is commonly distinguished from Osteoarthritis by a flare period followed by complete remission between flares.
However, long-term damage to joints associated with uncontrolled inflammation in gout (and Rheumatoid arthritis) may ultimately result in the development of Osteoarthritis in the affected joint, making it difficult to distinguish the types of arthritis by symptoms alone.
Furthermore, Osteoarthritis often co-exists with gout, resulting in chronic joint pain in the absence of active disease.
Clinical Pharmacist, CP, April 2015, Vol 7, No 3;7(3):DOI:10.1211/PJ.2015.20068288
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Osteoarthritis of the Spine in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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