Editing Arthritis (section)

=== Osteoarthritis ===
{{Main|Osteoarthritis}}
[[File:Varus Knee Osteoarthritis Xray.jpg|thumb|Bilateral medial joint space narrowing with osteophytes in varus knees with osteoarthritis]]

[[Osteoarthritis]] (OA) is the most common form of arthritis.<ref name=Van2010>{{cite journal | vauthors = VanItallie TB | title = Gout: epitome of painful arthritis | journal = Metabolism | volume = 59 | issue = Suppl 1 | pages = S32–S36 | date = October 2010 | pmid = 20837191 | doi = 10.1016/j.metabol.2010.07.009 }}</ref> It affects humans and other animals, notably dogs, but also occurs in cats and horses. It can affect both the larger (i.e. knee, hip, shoulder, etc.) and the smaller joints (i.e. fingers, toes, foot, etc.) of the body. The disease is caused by daily wear and tear of the joint. This process can progress more rapidly as a result of injury to the joint. Osteoarthritis is caused by the break down of the smooth surface between two bones, known as cartilage, which can eventually lead to the two opposing bones coming in direct contact and eroding one another. OA symptoms typically begin with minor pain during physical activity, but can eventually progress to be present at rest. The pain can be debilitating and prevent one from doing activities that they would normally do as part of their daily routine. OA typically affects the weight-bearing joints, such as the back, knee and hip due to the mechanical nature of this disease process. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is most commonly a disease of the elderly. The strongest predictor of osteoarthritis is increased age, likely due to the declining ability of [[chondrocytes]] to maintain the structural integrity of cartilage.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Pereira D, Ramos E, Branco J | title = Osteoarthritis | journal = Acta Médica Portuguesa | volume = 28 | issue = 1 | pages = 99–106 | date = January 2015 | pmid = 25817486 | doi = 10.20344/amp.5477 | doi-access = free }}</ref> More than 30 percent of women have some degree of osteoarthritis by age 65. One of the primary tools for diagnosing OA are X-rays of the joint. Findings on X-ray that are consistent with OA include those with joint space narrowing (due to cartilage breakdown), bone spurs, sclerosis, and bone cysts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fan |first1=Zijuan |last2=Yan |first2=Lei |last3=Liu |first3=Haifeng |last4=Li |first4=Xiaoke |last5=Fan |first5=Kenan |last6=Liu |first6=Qiang |last7=Li |first7=Jiao Jiao |last8=Wang |first8=Bin |date=2023-03-29 |title=The prevalence of hip osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Arthritis Research & Therapy |language=en |volume=25 |issue=1 |page=51 |doi=10.1186/s13075-023-03033-7 |doi-access=free |issn=1478-6362 |pmc=10053484 |pmid=36991481}}</ref>