title: Osteoarthritis.
abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder characterized by cartilage loss. Its prevalence is high, and it is a major cause of disability. The cause of OA is not known; however, current evidence indicates that it is multifactorial. Major risk factors for osteoarthritis are age, female sex, obesity, geographic factors, occupational knee-bending, physical labour, genetic factors and race, joint trauma, vitamin D deficiency, and chondrocalcinosis. Osteoarthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, and limitation of joint function. Knee involvement is the commonest presentation of this disease all over the world. Given the absence of a curative treatment, it is important to treat osteoarthritis as effectively as possible using a multidisciplinary approach tailored to the patient's needs. This article reviews current thinking on the epidemiology, clinical presentation, lifestyle, genetic epidemiology, and management of osteoarthritis in developing countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, C.S.M. Medical University, RALC Campus, Lucknow, India. daslko@gmail.com
authors.forename: Siddharth Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Abid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farooqi
mesh_terms: D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors