The Impact of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, the clinical syndrome of joint pain and dysfunction caused by joint degeneration, affects more people than any other joint disease. There are no consistently effective methods for preventing osteoarthritis or slowing its progression, and symptomatic treatments provide limited benefit for many patients. Osteoarthritis disables about 10% of people who are older than 60 years, compromises the quality of life of more than 20 million Americans, and costs the United States economy more than $60 billion per year. The incidence of osteoarthritis rises precipitously with age; as a result, the prevalence and burden of this disorder is increasing rapidly. Study of the patterns osteoarthritis incidence and…