Etiopathogenesis of Osteoarthritis

In this article, the authors posit that, because osteoarthritis (OA) involves all of the tissues of the synovial joint, the emphasis on the loss of cartilage, in particular, is misguided. In contrast, the authors view OA as a process that is attempting to contain a mechanical problem in the joint. They argue that OA is best defined as failed repair of damage that has been caused by excessive mechanical stress on joint tissues. Because the body's innate mechanisms for repairing the damaged tissues cannot be effective in the face of the overwhelming mechanical abnormality, they cannot solve the problem of OA.