What is happening in the body with knee osteoarthritis? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Seems like everyone complains of arthritis in their knees, especially as they age. And that’s no surprise, says Stefan Coombs, an orthopedic surgeon at Johns Hopkins. It’s well known what happens to knees over time.

Coombs: Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease resulting from wear and tear and progressive loss of articular cartilage. Cartilage is a strong flexible connective tissue. It has three main functions: it acts as a shock absorber through this specific joint, it lubricates your joints and allows the bony ends to glide with little friction and it provides support,   helping to maintain the shape of the joints. Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of disability in adults.   :30

Coombs says a number of factors converge to wear down the cartilage in the knee joint, resulting in pain and compromised function. Research is ongoing into what specific processes are taking place that might be interrupted to preserve the knee cartilage and full range of knee function. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.