Does Inflammation Play a Role in Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is caused by the breakdown of articular cartilage -- the type of cartilage that covers the ends of bones in a joint. Over time, most older adults will develop some form of painful osteoarthritis in a joint or joints, such as the knees, hips, spine, or hands. While pain is common in osteoarthritis, inflammation -- redness and swelling -- is usually associated with other types of arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other forms of inflammatory arthritis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) taken during the early stages of osteoarthritis sometimes can detect synovitis (inflammation of joint lining) even though the joint cartilage still appears normal. As osteoarthritis progresses -- inflammation can occur around an affected joint. What explains this inflammation? Recent study results show the mechanics of entheses -- the sites where ligaments or tendons attach to bone -- may play a role in synovial inflammation in osteoarthritis as well as inflammatory arthritis. Read more in Does Inflammation Play a Role in Osteoarthritis?

Related Resources:

• What is Enthesitis?
• Inflammation: The Battle Within
• Test Your Knowledge: Inflammation
• What is Synovitis and Subclinical Synovitis?
• Recognizing Osteoarthritis Signs and Symptoms

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