BookSCO_85055767402

abstract

• © 2013 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disease of the joint, is loosely divided into different groups based on the joints involved. The form which includes multiple joints, hands, knees, hips, and spine, is considered to be hereditary; the form which includes only peripheral joints or a single joint such as knee or hip is not considered to be hereditary [1-4]. OA can be primary, purely degenerative, or secondary, typically to trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, or to infection [3]. In this chapter, we will concentrate on degenerative joint disease. Since many of the histopathological changes and other disease features in OA are similar in different joints; for the sake of simplicity, we will concentrate on the knee joint.