Ethiopathogenic mechanism of osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is an incurable disease characterized by a progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage associated with a subchondral and osteophyte bone proliferation, which causes pain, limitation of mobility, disability, and deterioration of the patient's quality of life. There is a clinical discrepancy between patients who are radiologically in a similar stage. A series of risk factors have been described that would act systemically or locally in each joint. These factors alone or coincidentally would give rise to structural alterations of the joint tissues and would develop the disease. The actual mechanism by which these risk factors act is not entirely known. Knowing their way of acting and when they act would be a good opportunity to carry out a specific and early treatment that prevents the appearance or progression of osteoarthritis.