Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are quite common among people, and this is not only a "reward" for walking upright, but also the consequences of strenuous physical exertion, injury, and excess weight. To a non-specialist it may seem that all these diseases are very similar or, on the contrary, they have nothing in common. For example, the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is clear only to a specialist.
MAIN DIFFERENCES
In the human body, there are movable bone joints called joints. Their structure is fundamentally similar: the epiphyses, separated by the joint space, form a cavity covered by a membrane, within which is contained a synovial fluid similar to a gel. These joints are simple, consist of two surfaces and are also complex: 2-3 simple.
A wide range of conditions that cause inflammation in the joints, which can also affect a person's overall health, muscle tissue, and skin, are commonly called arthritis (a-t). There are more than 100 types of these pathologies, each of which has its own name, for example:
- degenerative changes: osteoarthritis;
- autoimmune disorders: rheumatoid a-t, gout, lupus and others.
All of these diseases can limit skeletal mobility and also greatly reduce the quality of human life. Osteoarthritis or arthrosis (a-z) is one of the most common types of joint pathology, in which the wear of cartilage is noted. The slippery cartilage tissue provides mobility to the joints, but with age it becomes thinner and can disappear completely, causing pain when moving. This happens due to the fact that the bones begin to contact each other.
Osteoarthritis most often affects the joints of the hands, hip, or knee, but it may be found in the ankle joint. As a person grows, their chances of developing this pathology increase and, with an injury, the risks double. Therefore, the difference between arthritis and osteoarthritis is easy to define: the former is an inflammatory process, the latter is a degenerative condition.
DIFFERENCE OF SYMPTOMS
It is obvious that all types of inflammatory processes in the joints will differ from each other in specific symptoms. There is a certain standard set of signs to help you understand that it is arthritis:
- tissue swelling and redness of the skin around the affected joint are visually visible;
- pain;
- movement restriction.
Since osteoarthritis is not always accompanied by inflammation, its complex of symptoms is more difficult to recognize and special studies are often required. Of course, here are also the most common manifestations that help to make preliminary diagnoses:
- joint pain aggravated by movement;
- limitation of joint mobility and flexibility.
The process of cartilage thinning forces the body to compensate for the loss, so the bone tissue grows, forming growths: osteophytes or spurs. These phenomena are visible on X-rays.
Arthritis has many causes and affects affected areas in different ways, with inflammation affecting the surrounding soft tissues and skin, while osteoarthritis is wear and tear on the joints that occurs locally.
It is obvious that degenerative changes may well be accompanied by inflammatory processes, and then mixed symptoms will appear, characteristic of both pathologies. For example, painful sensations that increase with exertion, swelling and redness of the affected tissues, cracking or grinding in the joint. Inflammation, which tends to spread, involving the entire human body in the process, is what distinguishes arthritis from osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
RISK FACTORS
It is quite clear that both pathologies have both common and specific developmental causes. Although, in general, science still cannot understand the exact causes of osteoarthritis, it is generally accepted that this is one of the signs of aging in the body. However, some risk factors still stand out:
- Age is one of the fundamental reasons that increases the chances of developing joint pathology by approximately 10 times.
- Body mass. The more weight, the more difficult it is for the joints to function normally, so they wear out faster. There are even several types of arthritis that are common in people who are overweight.
- Gender. Interestingly, women are more prone to these types of diseases than men. In fairness, it should be said that there are specific types of arthritis, for example gout, that are more common in a strong half of humanity.
- Deformations. This factor is inherent in osteoarthritis, because improper load distribution contributes to increased wear and damage of the articular cartilage.
- Injuries.
- genetic predisposition. It should be noted that this article does not in any way increase your chances of getting inflammatory joint conditions, except for autoimmune types, for example rheumatoid arthritis.
- Type of activity. This refers to work or any other activity that requires a great systematic load on the joints.
All of these factors, as a rule, work in combination. Scientists note that an active lifestyle, good nutrition, and maintaining a normal weight will maximize postponement of age-related degenerative changes in the joints.
PATHOMORPHOSIS OF NAMES
Historically, the names of diseases were formed from the mechanism of their origin. This approach helped the doctor to understand the tactics of further actions, that is, choosing the type of therapy, recommending the regimen. Medicine develops, diagnostic methods are improved, and as a result, new nosologies emerge, 
and the essence of the pathological processes is reviewed, which naturally leads to a review of the names of already known diseases.
Already in 1911, a group of diseases of a degenerative-dystrophic nature was identified, for example, deformation osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis, which differ only in names, are a pathology. The confusion is due to the fact that previously there was a poor understanding of the important specific features and etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the disease.
Osteoarthritis was usually understood as a chronic disease without the participation of an inflammatory process of unknown cause, which is characterized by changes in the structure of the subchondral bone and cartilage degeneration with or without synovitis. At present, this pathology is perceived not only as a process of dissimilation of cartilaginous tissue. This nosological form encompasses a group of diseases of diverse origins, but with similar morphological, biological and clinical manifestations, in which all joint components are affected. Often this set is linked to an inflammatory process.
Scientists believe that in the future it will not be necessary to look for the difference between arthritis and arthrosis in the fingers, as separate nosological forms will be distinguished, for example, polyosteoarthrosis of the interphalangeal joints.
TREATMENT METHODS
All kinds of joint diseases require treatment. Once the diagnosis is made, the doctor will prescribe a therapy, which can include several tactics, combined with each other or applied separately:
- Medications. This includes a variety of oral pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. Injectable medications such as hyaluronate and corticosteroids are injected directly into the joint cavity. This reduces inflammation and temporarily restores mobility. It should be remembered that such treatment has side effects and can be poorly tolerated, which is why it is used in courses.
- Physiotherapy and alternative medicine. The most common and safest therapies are for patients with any type of arthritis. Here you can highlight methods such as acupuncture, physical therapy exercises.
However, in some cases, when conservative treatment is ineffective and patients experience severe pain, while the joints are deformed and the person is deprived of the ability to move normally, surgical treatment is indicated. Large joints are often replaced with stents when the changes in them are irreversible.
If the elements of the joint are completely intact, modern medicine offers endoscopic methods of surgical interventions, in which the doctor can remove overgrown bone tissue, as well as chipped sections of cartilage.This type of surgery does not require long-term rehabilitation and is well tolerated by patients.
Therefore, osteoarthritis is just one type of arthritis. Symptoms and instrumental studies will help to distinguish what specific pathology the patient suffers from. Regardless of the nosological form, all diseases of the joints should be under the supervision of a doctor, this will help to avoid many serious consequences and to maintain physical activity.