Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the bones that begins with the destruction or gradual loss of articular cartilage, which affects not only the surface articular cartilage but also the whole complex joints, ligaments, menisci, tendons... Articular cartilage has the function damping forces at the ends of bones and to be a material with low coefficient of friction also allows the movement of the bones with each other, reducing wear on the joint.
When articular cartilage degenerates by different causes, friction increases the ends of bones, increasing the frictional forces and starting the degeneration of different joint structures. In more advanced cases small pieces of cartilage are released, thus increasing the rubbing and friction, menisci degenerate and all periarticular muscle tendons capsular components as affected joint.
