Which statement about OA pathophysiology is true?

Which statement about OA pathophysiology is true?

• A. It is a degenerative joint disease caused by wear and tear.
• B. It is primarily an autoimmune inflammatory disease.
• C. It is caused by infectious organisms.
• D. It is a vasculitis.

Answer: (A)

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease driven by mechanical wear and aging, not by autoimmune or infectious processes. Repeated stress on a joint shifts the balance toward cartilage breakdown: chondrocytes increase matrix-degrading enzymes, cartilage softens and fissures, and eventual loss of articular cartilage exposes the subchondral bone. The bone responds with sclerosis and the formation of osteophytes, while mild synovial inflammation may accompany the process but is not the primary driver. This contrasts with autoimmune inflammatory diseases, infections, or vasculitis, which have different underlying mechanisms. So the statement that OA pathophysiology is caused by wear and tear, a degenerative process, best fits.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease driven by mechanical wear and aging, not by autoimmune or infectious processes. Repeated stress on a joint shifts the balance toward cartilage breakdown: chondrocytes increase matrix-degrading enzymes, cartilage softens and fissures, and eventual loss of articular cartilage exposes the subchondral bone. The bone responds with sclerosis and the formation of osteophytes, while mild synovial inflammation may accompany the process but is not the primary driver. This contrasts with autoimmune inflammatory diseases, infections, or vasculitis, which have different underlying mechanisms. So the statement that OA pathophysiology is caused by wear and tear, a degenerative process, best fits.