men or women get it more easily?
women
what is the most commonly affected joint?
knee
how much does OA impact quality of life?
leads to 10-25% lower quality of life
what percentage of OA patients have one other major medical condition?
60-90%
what are the most common co-morbidities with OA?
hypertension, diabetes, CVD
what types of OA are most associated with reduced survival?
symptomatic hip and knee OA (largely related to walking limitation and CVD)
why is OA a serious disease?
loss of function
impact on prevalence of comorbidity
premature mortality, largely due to CVD causes
what is OA?
a progressive disease of synovial joints - represents the failed repair of joint damage
what tissues does OA involve?
ALL TISSUES - it is a disease of the entire joint, not just the cartilage
what happens in the early and late stages of OA that could be a driver of the condition?
synovial inflammation (synovitis)
what are 5 factors that negatively affect joint load?
obesity / BMI (most significant)
joint injury
limb mal-alignment
bone shape
neuromuscular abnormalities
is there any evidence that running causes knee OA?
no
how much more likely are women to have disabling OA?
2 x more than men
which types of OA run in families?
hip and hand
who is hand OA 2 x more likely in?
obese people
is x ray imaging necessary to make a diagnosis of OA?
no - it can establish a baseline and monitor disease progression but symptoms are not well correlated with structural changes seen
who normally gets OA? (age)
those over 40
symptoms of early OA
pain is an occasional predictable sharp or other pain, brought on by a trigger, limits high impact or excessive activities
symptoms of moderate OA?
predictable pain increasingly associated with unpredictable locking or buckling (knee), pain becomes more constant and affects daily activities such as climbing stair
symptoms of advanced OA?
constant dull / aching pain and short episodes of often unpredictable intense pain - results in significant avoidance of activities including social and recreational activities
what are some atypical features and red flags?
recent history of injury
frequent joint locking
prolonged morning stiffness
rapid onset of symptoms
hot, swollen joint
** requires additional investigation for possible alternative dx
what are key subjective findings for OA?
insidious onset of joint pain, stiffness <30 mins in am, pain with weight bearing activities and gripping/pinching
what are the main goals with OA patients?
since there is no cure: pain management, improving function, prevention of symptom progression, improving their quality of life
what are the core therapies for OA?
exercise, weight management, self-management program
