Osteoarthritis Research Paper

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most familiar form of arthritis (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). OA is also referred to as joint failure. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common form of autoimmune arthritis that occurs mainly in the synovial tissue (Murphy, 2017). In normal joints, a firm, rubbery material called cartilage covers the end of each bone. Cartilage provides a smooth, flowing surface for joint motion and acts as a cushion between the bones. In OA, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint (Mayo Clinic, 2017). As this disease intensifies over time, cartilage may collapse and develop build up called spurs. Bits of bone or cartilage may chip off and float around in the joint. An inflammatory process can occur in the body and proteins and enzymes develop additional damage the joints (What is Osteoarthritis). In the final stages of osteoarthritis, the osseous matter wears away and bone rubs against bone leading to joint damage and more pain (What is Osteoarthritis). …show more content…
It is greatly enlarged in rheumatoid arthritis to eight to ten cells thick (Bingham, 2013). In RA, however, the subintimal area is heavily infiltrated with inflammatory cells (Bingham, 2013). Phagocytosis create enzymes within the joint (Belleza, 2017). The hypertrophied synovium (also called pannus) invades and erodes contiguous cartilage and bone. Cartilage’s flexibility, quality, and water content are all impaired in RA (Bingham, 2013). Muscle fibers sustain declination changes, and ligament and tendon elasticity and contracted power are lost (Belleza,