The origin of the word arthritis is from the Greek “arthro" which means joint and "it is" which means inflammation; however, this may be sometimes misleading since there are over 100 different forms of arthritis. The most common is called osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative bone disease rather than inflammation (wear and tear). Regardless of the form of arthritis the end result is somehow similar in all types, which is distraction of the smooth cartilage that form the articulation in the joints and the result of narrowing of joint space and eventually ruff bone surfaces articulate with each other, rather than smooth cartilage, this leads to pain and disability.
The human joints are made of articulation between two or more bone endings. These bone endings are covered by a layer of smooth soft cushion of articular cartilage that varies in thickness and type depending on the location in the body. Generally speaking the articular cartilage in the limbs is made of mainly hyaline cartilage, which provides excellent shock absorption and smooth surface facilitating the movement. Joints are lined by a special layer of synovial membrane which provides insulation from the surrounding structures and secret a lubrication fluid to facilitate movement. The bone endings of the joint are attached to each other via a strong tissue that takes different shapes, called ligaments. These ligaments are non elastic and very strong so they provide stability. Movement of the joints is controlled by a group of muscles that cross it and attached to the bones via tendons. There are several groups of muscles that act on each joint such as flexors, extensors, abductors and adductors. This complex system acts better than any device invented by human kind; however, if damage occurs to one element of the system this may lead to collapse of the whole system and eventually loss of function.
Arthritis affects around three million people in Australia, representing about 15% of the population. In general, arthritis is a disease of the elderly, in particular osteoarthritis. More than 70% of individuals in the western countries are affected by arthritis over the age of 65. Certain types of arthritis can affect young adults such as rheumatoid arthritis. Other types of arthritis can affect children, such as reactive arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Arthritis in general is more common in women than men for all ages except in case of gout arthritis. Certain ethnic groups and cultures are more susceptible to develop arthritis more than others. For example, Asian females are less likely to develop arthritis of the hip and the hand joints but they have higher susceptibility to knee arthritis compared to other races.
Arthritis can affect any joint in the body, from small joints to large joints. Certain types of arthritis are more prevalent in large joints, whilst others are more prevalent in small joints.
Contact Us
Address: 116 Macquarie Street Parramatta 2150 NSW
Phone: +61 2 9806 3333
Fax: +61 2 9687 4179
Parramatta, San Clinic Rooms (Sydney Adventist Hospital) and Norwest Rooms. Click here to view
