osteoarthritisOsteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that is characterized by the loss of cartilage. It most often affects the weight bearing joints of the hips, knees, spine and feet. It can also be found in the fingers and thumb. The job of cartilage is to absorb forces through the joints. It tries to protect the bones from rubbing against each other. As the cartilage starts to wear out or thin down, it loses its elasticity and is easily damaged by injury or use. If there is a lot of cartilage loss, it can cause changes to the underlying bone in several ways: -bone may thicken and cysts may form -bone spurs may develop near the end of the bone -bits of cartilage or bone can float in the joint space -the joint lining may become inflamed which can lead to further cartilage loss and bone damage…
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