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In three Volumes this mini book series presents current knowledge and new perspectives on cartilage as a specialized yet versatile tissue. This second volume is dedicated to basic pathologies of the two most common osteoarticular diseases affecting large segments of the Western population, osteoarthritis and chondrodysplasias. This book addresses Professors, researchers and PhD students who are interested in musculoskeletal and cartilage biology and pathobiology.
Osteoarthritis can be categorized as the deterioration of protective cartilage surrounding joints resulting in swelling, pain and increased difficulty in joint movement. Several factors are known to increase risk of osteoarthritis such as joint injury, comorbidity with other conditions (rheumatoid arthritis), age and obesity. While joint damage is irreversible, symptoms can be managed and various life-style changes can slow disease progression. To date, there is no cure for osteoarthritis and while joint damage is irreversible, symptoms can be managed with various life-style changes to slow disease progression. Pain management can often be achieved with over-the-counter analgesics. Alternatives include Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Opioids, Capsaicin cream, and in extreme cases Steroid injections. Non-pharmaceutical treatments include physiotherapy, assisted devices such as specialized footwear and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). In cases of extreme joint damage various surgeries may be available to patients, such as arthroplasty surgery.
Chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and others typically stimulate a systemic response of the entire body. This response has a uniform character in many diseases because common pathways are switched on. The uniform response regulates systemic energy and water provision. However, long-term application of this program leads to typical disease sequelae such as fatigue / depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, anorexia, malnutrition, muscle wasting – cachexia, cachectic obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, alterations of steroid hormone axes, disturbances of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonada...