Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common condition suffered mostly by the elderly. Due to it painful and debilitating effects, sufferers often rely on pain medication (NSAIDS) to live a normal life.
OA is a degenerative condition of the joints whereby inflammatory markers seem to be the most important mediators of this cartilage destruction. Cartilage is able to repair itself through the induction of local growth factors, leading to the production of new collagen. However, this ‘regenerative’ repair is stunted by OA which continually works to cause further damage, making it a degenerative disease.