What Causes Osteoarthritis?
Posted: Jan. 1, 2008
The cause of osteoarthritis is unknown. Researchers suspect that osteoarthritis is caused by a combination of factors in the body and the environment. The chance of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. By age 65, half of the population has X-ray evidence of osteoarthritis in at least one joint, most often in the hips, knees or fingers.
Osteoarthritis often results from years of wear and tear on joints. This wear and tear mostly affects the cartilage, the tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage begins to fray, wear away and decay.
Factors that might cause osteoarthritis include:
- Being overweight
- Getting older
- Joint injury
- Joints that are not properly formed
- A genetic defect in joint cartilage
- Stresses on the joints from certain jobs and playing sports
Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases
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