Degenerative Joint Disease – An Overview of Your Condition
Degenerative joint disease is a widespread condition that affects millions of people and can have a significant impact on daily life. While it is not limited to older populations, it is more commonly found in this demographic, and the majority of people over the age of 70 have some degree of degenerative joint disease. Many of these people are unaware that their joints are compromised, but others experience significant symptoms that completely alter their lives. These symptoms can begin as slight discomforts, felt only every now and then, and they can easily be confused for normal aches and pains. However, the severity of these symptoms can escalate over time, building in intensity and frequency until they make normal daily activities nearly impossible.
Also known as degenerative arthritis or osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease is a condition in which the cartilage that surrounds and cushions the facet joints in the spine breaks down. This cartilage is integral to the effective functioning of facet joints, and when it degenerates, these joints become stiffer and cannot move as easily as they once did. The friction of bone on bone can also result in the formation of protective structures called bone spurs. These osteophytes can not only make movement more difficult, but they can press upon nearby nerve roots, causing significant pain and other symptoms.
The Anatomy of Degenerative Joint Disease
Also known as the zygapophyseal or apophyseal joints, facet joints are structures that join and provide stability to the 24 articulating, or free moving, vertebrae of the spine. Like most of the body’s joints, they are synovial joints. Synovial joints, which are also known as diarthrodial joints, are the most common type of joint in the body, and they are characterized by a capsule which surrounds the joint and contains a lubricating fluid.
In order to understand degenerative joint disease, it’s necessary to identify and understand the basic structures that make up synovial joints and in particular the facet joints:
· Vertebrae – The spine is made up of 33 bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of one another to form the vertebral column. 24 of these are articulating vertebrae. Each of these articulating vertebrae has one superior or upward facing facet pair, and one inferior or downward facing facet pair. The superior facet pair joins with the inferior facet pair of the vertebra above, while the inferior facet pair joins with the superior facet pair of the vertebra below. Together, these structures form facet joints.
· Articular cartilage – The bones of the facet joint, meaning the superior and inferior facet pairs, have a thin layer of articular cartilage, which cushions the bones and protects them. It does not contain blood vessels, and is therefore less able to repair itself or grow like other connective tissues.
· Articular capsule – The articular capsule is the main structure surrounding the facet joints and all synovial joints. The outer layer of this is called the stratum fibrosum and is made up of avascular white fibrous tissue. The inner layer is called the stratum synoviale or the synovial membrane.
· Synovial membrane – This membrane creates the synovial cavity, which is a space between the two bones of the facet joint. It secretes synovial fluid and contains it so it is not lost or squeezed out of the joint during high impact activities.
· Synovial fluid – Synovial fluid lubricates and nourishes the cartilage of the facet joints. It fills any pits or uneven surfaces on the articular cartilage and forms a thin but slippery layer between the two so that the cartilage on bones can glide smoothly against one another.
In a case of degenerative joint disease, the articular cartilage located within the synovial membrane has broken down, exposing bone and nerve endings. It causes general irritation and in many cases nerve compression, both which result in a variety of symptoms.
Causes & Risk Factors for Degenerative Joint Disease
The deterioration of joint cartilage can be caused by many things, oftentimes in combination with each other, and the cause of your osteoarthritis could be completely different than another person’s. Only a doctor can give an accurate, professional diagnosis of the cause behind your degenerative joint disease, but some of the most common causes include:
· Wear and tear – The single most common cause of degenerative joint disease is simply wear and tear over time. Just like skin gets wrinkles and hair turns gray, facet joints in the spine change as a person ages and can be worn down over time. However, the rate at which this occurs varies from person to person, and one individual may begin to feel the symptoms at age 45 while another doesn’t experience any issues until well into their 80s.
· Injury – Traumatic injury can damage the facet joints or their cartilage, putting them in a more vulnerable state and beginning or hastening their breakdown.
· Overuse – Overuse can come from your job or a lifestyle that includes strenuous activities like heavy lifting or rough sports.
· Genetics – Hair color, height, and shoe size aren’t the only physical traits controlled by your DNA. Your genes also determine the structure of your facet joints, and some people may simply have joints that are more prone to degeneration than others.
Risk factors for the disease include:
· Age – Since wear and tear is a major contributor to degenerative joint disease, old age is a strong risk factor. The longer you have been alive, the more stress your spine has been under and the greater chance that your facet cartilage has begun to break down.
· Physically demanding career – Those who have jobs requiring heavy lifting, repetitive twisting, and other strenuous activities put more stress on their spine and can begin to develop the condition earlier and to a greater extent than others.
· Playing rough sports – Participation in rough sports or those that require repetitive motions can stress the spine and contribute to degenerative joint disease development.
· Poor posture – Chronic slumping and poor posture can stress the spine and strain the facet joints, making them break down faster and sooner.
· Family history – If others in your family have experienced degenerative joint disease, then you have a higher chance of developing it yourself.
· Obesity – Every extra pound your body carries puts more weight and stress on your spine. The more your spine has to support, the higher your likelihood of developing degenerative joint disease.
· Smoking – The chemicals in cigarettes do many things to a person’s body, including hastening deterioration of spinal bodies. While not every smoker will experience degenerative joint disease, this habit can contribute to its development and the rate at which it occurs.
Symptoms of Degenerative Joint Disease
Symptoms of degenerative joint disease vary from person to person depending on not only the location of their affected joints, but also how far the disease has progressed. They can be very similar to those of other spinal conditions, so it’s important to have a doctor determine whether your symptoms can be attributed to degenerative joint disease or another back issue. Some of the most common symptoms associated with the disease include:
· Muscle spasms – This symptom is a reflexive, protective bodily response, but it can also end up pulling the spine out of alignment and cause further issues.
· Stiffness – Because synovial fluid can be depleted in degenerated facet joints, they cannot glide easily, making it more difficult to bend back and forth. Other structures like bone spurs that may have formed as a result of the friction from degenerative joint disease can also inhibit motion.
· Pain – There are multiple reasons that degenerative joint disease can cause pain. It can be due to tiny nerves in the joint that have been exposed by deteriorating cartilage, nerve roots that have been compressed by a bone spur, or other causes. Pain can be localized to the area of the back in which the affected facet joint is found, and it can also radiate out into other parts of the body when nerve root compression has occurred.
· Headaches – This symptom can manifest in cases of cervical facet degeneration, since the nerves in the cervical spine are responsible for the upper body, including the head.
At AOMSI diagnostics, we provide the most accurate spinal imaging available in the healthcare marketplace. This imaging has been proven in peer-reviewed medical journals to be the most accurate, reliable and specific spinal imaging when compared to traditional spinal imaging modalities.
Contact us today to see if AOMSI diagnostics is right for you!