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Arthritis and rheumatic diseases: Difference between revisions
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→Arthritis
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==Types== | ==Types== | ||
===Arthritis=== | ===Arthritis=== | ||
Arthritis is defined as and literally means joint inflammation. | Arthritis is defined as and literally means joint inflammation. There are three common types of arthritis: osteo-, rheumatoid, and juvenile. | ||
====Osteoarthritis==== | |||
Osteoarthritis is caused by the breakdown of cartilage due to weight, injury, age, genetics, and/or muscle weakness. It is the most common form of arthritis afflicting 27 million Americans. It is also one of the few with a known cause, although not preventable if your genetically predisposed. | |||
Symptoms of osteoarthritis include: | |||
<ul>joint soreness</ul> | |||
<ul>joint stiffness</ul> | |||
<ul>morning stiffness</ul> | |||
<ul>joint pain</ul> | |||
<ul>loss of coordination</ul> | |||
Osteoarthritis can occur in hips, knees, the lower back, neck and joints of the fingers. The joints can be affected in any combination, on any side, regardless of symmetry. | |||
Osteoarthritis is arguably the easiest of the major arthritis' to diagnose. | |||
Overtime, joints can deteriorate at which point joint replacement may be inevitable. This is made possible by the field of tissue engineering. | |||
===Rheumatic Diseases=== | ===Rheumatic Diseases=== | ||
==Potential for Tissue Engineering== | ==Potential for Tissue Engineering== | ||
