The human knee is a triumph of design. The joint, which evolved fairly rapidly from our common ancestor with the chimpanzee to accommodate bipedalism, likely contributed to our success as a species. However, as the human lifespan extended, the flaw in the design emerged: pain, in the form of osteoarthritis. In a new paper published… Read More »
A neighbour of mine has osteoarthritis (OA) of her knees. The pain is getting her down and she has difficulty walking. It’s even painful in bed. But painkillers are becoming less and less effective. “Is it time to have a knee replacement?” she asks. She also wants to know if there are different kinds of… Read More »
Osteoarthritis is a common and potentially debilitating condition. It’s a degenerative joint disease (often called the “wear-and-tear” type) in which the smooth lining of cartilage becomes thinned and uneven, exposing the bone beneath. Although osteoarthritis is tightly linked with aging, we now know there is more to it than age alone: genetics, weight, physical activity,… Read More »