Osteoarthritis and its treatment modalities: A review of literature

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic condition resulting in pain, fatigue, functional limitations, increased healthcare utilization and high economic costs to society. The burden of OA is projected to increase due in part to obesity and ageing population. While the prevalence of OA increases with age.Pathologically, knee OA is characterized by structural changes in and around the knee joint. The predominant structural changes are the loss of cartilage and the formation of osteophytes. These changes are easily demonstrated radiologically, and objective measures of disease severity are based on the amount of joint space loss (a reflection of cartilage loss) and the presence of osteophytes. For the management of OA, surgical or conservative method is used which is primarily directed toward pain control and reduction in functional limitation.