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Description

Osteoarthritis (commonly known as OA) is a prevalent joint condition that primarily affects persons in their forties and fifties. OA is a disease of the entire joint, involving the cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone. It is usually referred to as "wear and tear" of the joints, but we now know that it is a disease of the entire joint, involving the cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone. Although it is more typical in elderly persons, saying that the joints are simply "worn out" is not entirely correct. It is identified by cartilage degradation (the tissue that cushions the ends of the bones between joints), skeletal alterations in the joints, tendons and ligaments deterioration, and varying degrees of joint lining inflammation. Hand joints, spine, hips, knees, and great toes are all common places for arthritis to develop. According to the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a long-term study from the University of North Carolina and sponsored by the Centers for Disease and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, the