. Osteoarthritis is often described as the "wear-and-tear" type of arthritis, because of its association with joint injury and old age. Certainly both injury and repetitive strain are major contributors to Osteoarthritis. Injury to or severing of the knee's ligament can lead to Osteoarthritis within a few years because the joint is worn and no longer fits together perfectly. Compared to repetitive work-related joint degeneration, athletes have a relatively low frequency of arthritis. Whether people can actually wear out their joints through a lifetime of normal use, howeve

Cartilage has no nerve or blood supply, since its function is to absorb and shield against the physical shocks and jolts of normal movement. Primarily muscles, tendons and ligaments contracting in spasm to protect the joint and prevent painful movement cause the pain of Osteoarthritis. Inflammation-with its heat, redness, swelling and soreness-can arise when grains of eroded cartilage float in the joint's fluid and irritate the membrane, which causes the surrounding muscles to contract even more.

Arthritis Foundation. Arthritis Today: Osteoarthritis Fact Sheet [Online database]. http://www.arthritis.org. [Copyrightc 1998].

Although diagnosis is usually straightforward, it involves a physical examination of the affected joint's range of motion and X-rays, which remain the standard for definitive diagnosis. Typically, over time, a series of X-rays will reveal gradual narrowing of the joint space indicatin

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