Inflammation May Be Culprit in Osteoarthritis
(HealthDayNews, 8/8/03)

Medical experts typically claim that osteoarthritis (OA), also called degenerative joint disease, results from a wearing away of joint cartilage over time. Now David A. Walsh of the University of Nottingham in Britain, and team, report that inflammation, not simply erosion, may accelerate the progression of the condition. When the researchers examined synovial tissue from 104 OA patients scheduled for joint replacement surgery, the investigators found that all but 7 showed evidence of synovitis (inflammation of the protective tissue surrounding the joints) and about a third had extremely severe inflammation.