
Secondary osteoarthritis can also occur after a joint injury or other medical condition. When this occurs, it’s called secondary osteoarthritis. There is an increased risk of developing OA in a joint already affected by RA. Sometimes the same joints are affected with both types of arthritis, and sometimes different joints are targeted. People with inflammatory arthritis are still at risk of developing osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, having one kind of arthritis doesn’t confer any immunity against developing another. While rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the joints and causes inflammation, osteoarthritis is a much more mechanical disorder. Osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis share part of a name - the word “arthritis” means joint inflammation - but they are very different conditions.

Osteoarthritis and Inflammatory Arthritis: Similarities and Differences The hands, wrists, and shoulders are also common spots. Not surprisingly, the weight-bearing joints like the knees, hips, and spine are particularly vulnerable to osteoarthritis. Many experts believe that anyone who lives long enough will eventually develop some degree of osteoarthritis, depending on factors like how heavily a joint has been used and whether it’s ever been injured. This usually develops slowly and gets worse over time. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones wears down until the bones are (painfully) rubbing against each other. By comparison, about 1.5 million have rheumatoid arthritis, which is among the most common inflammatory types of arthritis. (However, osteoarthritis can occur at any age - the idea that osteoarthritis only affects older adults is a common myth.)Ībout 30 million Americans have osteoarthritis.

It is largely a mechanical disorder that’s often caused by overuse or normal wear and tear on the joints as people get older. Although there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common and well-known. When the average person hears the word arthritis, chances are they think of osteoarthritis.
