Ambulantná terapia 2/2008

OSTEOARTHRITIS – COMPLEX CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease. In spite of heterogenic etiology (causes of primary and secondary OA) is the course of affection from the pathophysiologic, clinical and radiological aspects quite uniform. OA leads to a state, where it comes to imbalance between anabolic and reduction process in the joint cartilage and degradation dominates. Development of secondary regenerative – inflammatory changes – follows the evolution of the disease. Affection of the morbidity with a group of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapy, diagnosis by the first signs of disease, further cooperation with other specialists in treatment, follow up of patient compliance is in the hands of general practitioner.

Keywords: osteoarthritis, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapy, aging of the population, complex management