The Role of HDACs and HDACi in Cartilage and Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and a leading cause of disability worldwide, largely due to pain, the primary symptom of the disease. The pain experience in knee OA in particular is well-recognized as typically transitioning from intermittent weight-bearing pain to a more persistent, chronic pain. Methods to validly assess pain in OA studies have been developed to address the complex nature of the pain experience. The etiology of pain in OA is recognized to be multifactorial, with both intra-articular and extra-articular risk factors. Nonetheless, greater insights are needed into pain mechanisms in OA to enable rational mechanism-based management of pain. Consequences of pain related to OA contribute to a substantial socioeconomic burden. Copyright © 2013 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability and its incidence is rising due to increasing obesity and an ageing population. Risk factors can be divided into person-level factors, such as age, sex, obesity, genetics, race/ethnicity and diet, and joint-level factors including injury, malalignment and abnormal loading of the joints. The interaction of these risk factors is complex and provides a challenge to the managing physician. The purpose of this review is to illustrate how each of these factors interact together to instigate incident OA as well as to outline the need for ongoing epidemiologic studies for the future prevention of both incident and progressive OA. It is only by understanding the impact of this disease and the modifiable risk factors that we will be able to truly target public health prevention interventions appropriately.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease involving the cartilage and many of its surrounding tissues. Disease progression is usually slow but can ultimately lead to joint failure with pain and disability. OA of the hips and knees tends to cause the greatest burden to the population as pain and stiffness in these large weight-bearing joints often leads to significant disability requiring surgical intervention. The article reviews the existing data on epidemiology of osteoarthritis and the burden of the disease. Symptoms and radiographic changes are poorly correlated in OA. Established risk factors include obesity, local trauma and occupation. The burden of OA is physical, psychological and socioeconomic. Available data does not allow definite conclusion regarding the roles of nutrition, smoking and sarcopenia as risk factors for developing OA. Variable methods of diagnosing osteoarthritis have significantly influenced the comparability of the available literature. Further research is required to fully understand how OA affects an individual physically and psychologically, and to determine their healthcare need.