The difference between osteoarthritis and osteomalacia is generally characterized by etiologic symptoms, imaging tests, and so on. Osteoarthritis is due to trauma inflammation, age, obesity and many other factors play a common role in the results, the main manifestation of the joints of the pain, serious can appear joint swelling joint deformation, joint activity is limited. Osteomalacia mostly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people, because the human body self-protection, self-repair formation. Most of them are the result of slow degradation and aging of human bone and joint, mild patients do not have any symptoms, if osteophytes stimulate the surrounding tissues will cause pain around the joints. Osteoarthritis radiographs show narrowing of the joint space, sclerosis or cystic degeneration of the subchondral bone, and osteophytes on the edge of the joint. An osteophyte radiograph can reveal bone spur growths at the edges of the bone joints. So the difference between osteoarthritis and osteophytes is still mainly based on the etiology of symptoms and imaging tests, it is recommended that patients consult a doctor in a timely manner, under the guidance of the doctor, according to the cause of the disease, targeted treatment.