Recognizing joint hyperplasia and degeneration

  Osteoarticular hyperplasia and degeneration are seen in the elderly or other causes such as trauma and congenital abnormalities of the joints that cause non-inflammatory degenerative changes in the articular cartilage and the formation of bony redundancies at the edges of the joints, which can produce symptoms such as joint pain, restricted movement and joint deformity.  Osteoarthrosis and degeneration are more common in middle-aged and elderly people, and more women than men. It is more common in bones and joints with heavy load, such as knee joints and hip joints.  The main manifestation of osteoarthritis and degeneration is joint pain. In the early stage, it is a mild dull pain, but later it will gradually increase, and the pain will worsen when moving and improve when resting. Some patients also have pain at rest or in the morning, which may be caused by subchondral congestion, called “rest pain”. The pain is sometimes associated with weather changes and humidity and cold.  Patients may also experience joint inflexibility, morning stiffness, and joint rattling. At a certain point, swelling of the joints becomes apparent, especially in the presence of synovitis, and joint movement may be limited. At a later stage of development, the joints may become significantly deformed, such as inversion (rotundity) or valgus (ectropion) of the knee joint.