Osteoarthritis history and symptoms

Osteoarthritis Microchapters
Home
Patient Information
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Osteoarthritis from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Screening
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Criteria
History and Symptoms
Physical Examination
Laboratory Findings
X Ray
CT
MRI
Other Imaging Findings
Other Diagnostic Studies
Treatment
Medical Therapy
Surgery
Primary Prevention
Secondary Prevention
Cost-Effectiveness of Therapy
Future or Investigational Therapies
Case Studies
Case #1
Osteoarthritis history and symptoms On the Web
Most recent articles
Most cited articles
Review articles
CME Programs
Powerpoint slides
Images
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Osteoarthritis history and symptoms All Images X-rays Echo & Ultrasound CT Images MRI
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
US National Guidelines Clearinghouse
NICE Guidance
FDA on Osteoarthritis history and symptoms
CDC on Osteoarthritis history and symptoms
Osteoarthritis history and symptoms in the news
Blogs on Osteoarthritis history and symptoms
Directions to Hospitals Treating Osteoarthritis
Risk calculators and risk factors for Osteoarthritis history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohammadmain Rezazadehsaatlou[2], Irfan Dotani [3].

History

Patients' past medical history is the most useful tool for the osteoarthritis diagnosis. Doctors should have a complete and detailed family history of the disease, finding any possible risk factors to be able to reach a correct diagnosis. With this, an accurate evaluation of the patient’s symptoms may be developed and an important role in obtaining an accurate diagnosis and having on time treatment for patients may be obtained.

Symptoms

The symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) usually starts around age 40. The number of symptoms and their degree varies from one patient to another.

• Pain: The most important and common symptom of OA is the pain in the involved joint. The joint pain usually felt around the diseased joint. In some cases, the pain may be felt in other areas than the involved area. For example, in hip OA, the patients may actually feel pain in their lower thigh or at the knee. Normally, the activity and rest would increase and decrease the pain, but it progressed cases, the patients may also experience pain at night or at rest.

• Stiffness: Morning joint stiffness, as other common symptoms usually resolve during the first 30 minutes of waking up in morning, but it could be reoccurring during the day within the periods of resting and inactivity.
• Limited range of motion: Patient may not be able to move joints to their full capability.
• Joint tenderness (Soreness): The Patient may feel tenderness by touch or even slight pressure on their diseased joints.

• Swelling (Effusion): OA also could cause joint swelling which caused by the excessive amount of fluid in the joint.

• Crackling or grating sensation (Crepitus): OA may also cause a crackling or grating sensation sounds during the joint movement named crepitus. This sensation is due to the roughening of the normal surfaces of the involved joint.

• Bony outgrowths (Osteophytes): OA often cause osteophytes which is the outgrowing of bone or bone spurs. These protuberances can be found under the skin around the involved joints and they also might enlarge by the disease's progression.
• Specific joint symptoms: Since OA could affect all joints then each involved joint may have its own specific symptoms. As previously mentioned, OA of the hands and fingers, knees, hips, spinal cord are the most common sites for this disease. However, OA could involve the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ankle. Here are some specific symptoms.
  • Hip: 

• Patient experience pain in their groin area or buttocks and even inside of their knee or thigh.
• Pain in the hip, groin, back or thigh.
• Aching and stiffness in the groin, buttock or thigh.
• Discomfort: when getting out of bed in the morning and may flare up when participating in sports or other intense activities.
• Decreased range of motion.
• Chronic hip swelling.
  • Knee:

• Patient experience pain when moving their knee which is called “grating” or “scraping” sensation.
  • Hand: 

• Patient experience pain at the base of their thumb and their fingers to become swollen, tender and red; because of the Bony growths (spurs) at the edge of their joints.
• Pain and stiffness: localized pain in the thumbs, knuckles (DIP/PIP), and/or wrists.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Bouchard’s nodes: The bony growths development in patients middle knuckle, or PIP joint, making the knuckle look bigger or swollen. Bouchard’s nodes could cause difficulties in getting a ring on and off in and out of the involved finger.
• Heberden’s nodes: Like Bouchard’s nodes, Heberden’s nodes are bony growths that develop in the end-most knuckle, or DIP joint.
• Knobby-looking thumb: at the basilar joint of patients thumbs the notice the base of the thumb looks “knobby” or “squared off” which is a sign of the bony growths development.
  • Foot: 

• Patient experience pain in their large at the base of their big toe. Also, they might experience the swelling in their ankles or toes.
• Ankle popping or crunching
  • Spinal: 

• Back pain
• Back stiffness
• Tingling, numbness, or weakness in limbs.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis 
• Cervical spinal stenosis
• Cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy