Abstract:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is currently the most common musculoskeletal disease causing significant pain, disability and socioeconomic costs worldwide. It primarily affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips. It is the leading cause of disability in older adults causes pain, loss of function and impaired quality of life. The etiopathology of OA is complex and multifactorial with genetic, biological and biomechanical components. OA was previously thought to be simply a "wear and tear" disease predominantly associated with aging, and mechanically driven. However, it is now known that it is a much more complex process including mechanic, inflammatory and metabolic factors. Most clinical studies of hip and knee OA have focused primarily on improvement in pain and joint function. Current treatment methods do not seem to be sufficient to stop the course of OA, and functional outcomes may be poor in despite of all treatment modalities. The focus is so now on disease prevention and early OA treatment.

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