Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: According to the World Health Organization, more than 150 million (± 2.5%) people suffer\nfrom osteoarthritis (OA ) worldwide. Above the age of 60 years, these figures even\nrise to 10% 2. In almost 30% of these cases, OA leads to moderate to severe disability.\nThereby, it is the most common joint disease for the middle-aged and older population\nIn the Netherlands, OA is estimated to affect more than 650.000 people. Annual\nhealth care costs associated with OA are estimated to be 540 million euro, equivalent to\n0.8% of the total costs of health care in the Netherlands.\nBefore, OA was thought of as being mainly driven by wear and tear of the articular\ncartilage within the synovial joint. In recent years, it is shown that not only cartilage,\nbut also the subchondral bone, ligaments, the synovial fluid, and surrounding muscles\nare involved in the OA process. Although the exact aetiology is still unknown, OA is\nin general characterized by loss of articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and subchondral\nbone sclerosis. Clinically, OA is characterized by joint pain and limited joint\nfunction. OA can affect all synovial joints, but is most common in the knee, the hip and\nthe hand joints. Given the predominance of OA in the knee joint compared to other\njoints, the main focus in scientific studies have been on the knee joint, as is the current\nthesis.
Author: J. Runhaar
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W166159295