Healthcare Opportunity

Osteoarthritis is a wear and aging process that begins on joints and articular cartilage. Under normal conditions, the cartilage, which is a vital tissue to the slide, has the ability to replace their cells as these are worn. “In older people the rate of removal is not sufficient to maintain the joint thickness, so the cartilage thins and may begin to be contact between the bones devoid of cartilage, causing joint inflammation, pain and limited range of movement, “said Dr. Alfredo Olazabal, president of the Argentina Association of Surgery of the Hand (AACM).

“There are two factors, age and menopause, women become particularly vulnerable to osteoarthritis,” explained the expert.

According to a new study led by Maria Loreto Massardo specialist Vega, of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the incidence of osteoarthritis of the hands is 80% in women over 65 years and 50% in men the same age. Between 55 and 65, affecting 60% of women and 45% of men. Another more generic study, presented by Dr. Ricardo de Felipe under the XI National Congress of Health and Women’s Medicine (SAMEM) in Spain, highlights that osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent rheumatic diseases and affects 80 % older than 65 years.

What is osteoarthritis of the hand

It is a degeneration of cartilage in the joints of the hands, which can cause pain, difficulty moving the fingers and deformity. Can be caused by prolonged and repetitive activity of the joints (such as manual labor, for example), the wear of the passage of years or for hereditary reasons also, in which cases the disease recurs (and to the affected area ) from generation to generation. In addition to these causes, any joint that has suffered a fracture or inflammation for a long time may develop post traumatic osteoarthritis.

“The destruction of articular cartilage brings other side effects such as damage to the bone itself, which may trigger new tensions in the ligaments, tendons and muscles,” explained Olazabal.

Symptoms

Early predictors for hand osteoarthritis are the intense pain that appear to move the fingers and the Read the rest of this entry »