King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Jeddah marked the day with an open exhibition at the Red Sea Mall. “The idea is to spread the awareness of bone diseases in general as well as precautions to be taken to prevent or treat such problems,” a hospital specialist said.

Arthritis in its commonest form is known as osteoarthritis (OA), which is also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease. “It’s a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints,” says Dr. Manzoor S. Qazi, consultant orthopedic surgeon and sports injury specialist of Jeddah.

Osteoarthritis is derived from the Greek word “osteo” meaning “of the bone,” “arthro” meaning “joint” and “itis” meaning inflammation, although the “itis” of osteo arthritis is somewhat of a misnomer — inflammation is not a conspicuous feature, he explains. It is estimated that 80 percent of the population has radiographic evidence of OA by age 65, although only 60 percent of those may have symptoms.

The main symptom is pain, causing loss of ability and often stiffness. “Pain” is generally described as a sharp ache, or a burning sensation in the associate muscles and tendons. “OA can cause a crackling noise when the affected joint is moved or touched, and patients may experience muscle spasms and contractions in the tendons. Occasionally, the joints may also be filled with fluid. Humid and cold weather increases the pain in many patients,” Dr. Qazi says.

OA commonly affects the hands, feet and spine and the large weight bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. The affected joints appear larger, are stiff and painful, and usually feel worse the more they are used throughout the day. OA is the most common cause of joint effusion, an accumulation of excess fluid in or around the knee joint. Dr. Qazi explains:

This type of OA is a chronic degenerative disorder related to but not caused exclusively by aging. As a person ages, the water content of the cartilage decreases as a result of a reduced proteoglycan content, thus causing the cartilage to be less resilient. As breakdown products from the cartilage are released into the synovial space, and the cells lining the joint attempt to remove them result in inflammation of synovium (covering of joint). New bone outgrowths, called “spurs” or osteophyts, can form on the margins of the joints, possibly in an attempt to improve the congruence of the articular cartilage surfaces. These bone changes, together with the inflammation, can be both painful and debilitating. Up to 40 percent of OA cases are thought to result from genetic factors.

This type of OA is caused by other factors, but the resulting pathology is the same as for primary OA — congenital disorders of joints, diabetes, inflammatory diseases and all chronic forms of arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis where in uric acid crystals cause the cartilage to degenerate at a faster pace, injury to joints as a result of an accident, septic arthritis (infection of a joint, ligamental instability may be a factor), obesity and Alkaptinurea.

Diagnosis is made with reasonable certainty based on history and clinical examination. X-Rays may confirm the diagnosis. The typical changes seen on X-ray include joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis (increased bony formation around the joint), subchondral cyst formation, and osteophyts plain films may not correlate with the findings on physical examination or with the degree of pain. Usually other imaging techniques are not necessary to clinically diagnose osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis gradually worsens with time, and no cure exists. But osteoarthritis treatments can relieve pain and help you remain active.

Physical therapy has been shown to significantly improve function, decrease pain, and delay need for surgical intervention in advanced cases. Exercise prescribed by a physical therapist has been shown to be more effective than medications in treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Functional, gait, and balance training has been recommended to address impairments of propioception, balance, and strength in individuals with lower extremity arthritis as these can contribute to higher falls in older individuals.

If the management through medicine is ineffective, surgery may be required in advanced cases. Arthroscopic surgical intervention for osteoarthritis has shown excellent Short Term Results.

Realigning bones. Surgery to realign bones may relieve pain. These types of procedures are typically used when joint replacement surgery is not an option, such as in younger people with osteoarthritis. During a procedure called osteotomy, the surgeon cuts across the bone either above or below the knee to realign the leg. Osteotomy can reduce knee pain by transferring the force of the joint away from the worn-out part of the knee.

In joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty), your surgeon removes your damaged joint surfaces and replaces them with plastic and metal devices called prostheses. The hip and knee joints are the most commonly replaced joints. But today implants can replace your shoulder, elbow, finger or ankle joints. How long your new joint will last depends on how you use it. Some knee and hip joints can last 20 years. Joint replacement surgery can help you resume an active, pain-free lifestyle. In smaller hand joints, it can also improve appearance and comfort and may improve your joint’s mobility. Joint replacement surgery carries a small risk of infection and bleeding. Artificial joints can wear or come loose and may need to eventually be replaced.

Injections of hyaluronic acid derivatives (Hyalgan, Synvisc) may offer pain relief by providing some cushioning in your knee. These treatments are made of rooster combs and are similar to a component normally found in your joint fluid. Viscosupplementation is only approved for knee osteoarthritis, though researchers are studying its use in other joints.

Many Alternative Medicines are purporting to decrease pain associated with arthritis, however there is no evidence supporting benefits for most alternative treatments including vitamin A, C, and E, ginger and tumeric Omega 3 fatty acids.

Acupuncture leads to a significant improvement in pain. This improvement is small and of questionable clinical significance. Acupuncture does not seem to produce long-term benefits.