Causes of osteoarthritis condition are varied even though this condition is one of the most common types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis affects millions of people every year. There are different causes of osteoarthritis for different persons. What really are causes of osteoarthritis condition is a major issue and various researches and scientific studies are going on to understand the osteoarthritis condition. For finding out causes of osteoarthritis condition, effective diagnosis with the help of expert consultation is the proper approach towards treating osteoarthritis disease.
Osteoarthritis is type of arthritis wherein cartilage in between our body joint break down or loses. Cartilage is a type of substance made up of proteins and acts as a cushion in between bones of our body. The loss in cartilage causes inflammation in body joints and thus osteoarthritis condition arises. The causes of osteoarthritis condition are varied.
Generally, aging process of our body is considered main reason behind osteoarthritis. The water content in cartilage increases gradually and at the same time, protein layers diminishes in cartilage. A constant movement of joints for several years irritates and inflames cartilage in bones causing pains and swelling in body joints. Apart from this, other causes of osteoarthritis condition, is obesity. Increasing obesity leads to higher bone weights and as bones get heavier, they come close to each others affecting the cartilage cushion and rub on other bone. As friction increases, it affects the nearby ligaments, cartilage thus causing swelling and pain in joints. Then again, family history is also very important. Various researches have shown that osteoarthritis condition is a hereditary problem. Then crystal deposition in cartilage is also considered as one of causes of osteoarthritis. Deposition of uric acid crystals in cartilage can degenerate cartilage, thus leading to osteoarthritis condition. Then hormonal changes and diabetes are also linked with osteoarthritis condition. Genetic changes can also appear causing osteoarthritis in body joints. Abnormal body joints can also be reason for osteoarthritis condition. In addition, studies also suggest that increasing infection due to viruses, fungi and bacteria can also lead to loss of cartilage in bone joints.
Effective diagnostic approach is very vital in case of osteoarthritis condition. Typically, X rays are used to diagnose the pains and swelling caused by osteoarthritis. Narrowing of bone, sclerosis, joint space, subchondral cysts and bone spur formation is completely analyzed by X ray images. By using Magnetic resonance machine (MRI) scanning, experts study the charter of bone symptoms, duration, and location of inflammation and then diagnose the osteoarthritis condition. Apart from this, there is special set of criteria and data from which we can check certain parameters for the possible osteoarthritis condition. Hard tissue enlargement, pain and swelling region of joint and other such parameters are compared with such sets of criteria.
