Essay Example on Osteoarthritis of the Spine Research of Disease and Advancements in Treatments

Pain is typically heightened with cold weather standing and is more persistent in the evening Gower Timothy 2016 Patients with osteoarthritis in the spine have very limited motion of the lumbar spine and limited chest expansion due to the pain They have sometimes been seen with a slumped posture in efforts to alleviate some of the pain in their backs Osteoarthritis of the Spine n d Etiology of Osteoarthritis The cause of Osteoarthritis is due to the breakdown of cartilage in the joints The risk of Osteoarthritis in the spine increases with age and is typical for adults aged sixty five or older Mayo Clinic 2016 Obesity also increases the risk of developing osteoarthritis Extra weight increases the amount of stress in the joints of the spine making it easier for joints to rub against each other and rub away Mayo Clinic 2016 Fat tissue can also produce harmful proteins that increase inflammation within and around your spinal joints Mayo Clinic 2016 Another common cause of osteoarthritis is a faster breakdown of cartilage due to a past or current injury to specific joint s Higuera V 2016 November 28 Homeostatic Imbalances in Osteoarthritis Homeostasis is the ability for the body or cells to maintain stability within its internal environment despite external activities Homeostasis n d General Overview of Normal Homeostasis in Joints Cartilage in the joints are made up of chondrocytes that produce extracellular matrix Chondrocytes can be found as individuals or in clusters called isogenic groups 

Extracellular matrix consists of collagen elastin proteoglycans glycosaminoglycans Intercellular matrix n d Chondrocytes line joints creating a cellular layer and produces synovial fluid which provides lubrication to the surface of bones Extracellular matrix are in a state catabolic and anabolic events of the chondrocytes Also known as breaking down and repairing the matrix of the cartilage The process of catabolic and anabolic events is an example of the homeostatic process of degeneration and repair of the cartilage An imbalance occurring during this process might be the primary cause of Osteoarthritis How will it progress n d The progressive degeneration of articular cartilage indicates that the normal balance of chemical reaction activities of the chondrocytes has been severely disrupted Guilak F 2001 Very few medical advancement have been made that have been fully tested that make a huge difference on pain levels in osteoarthritis of the spine that last for more than a few weeks An example of this would be a surgical procedure called a laminectomy In a laminectomy the surgeon will remove part of the bone from the vertebrae to help relieve pressure from the spinal cord and nerves 

There are roughly six steps to complete a laminectomy procedure Gower Timothy 2016 According to Timothy Gower the procedure will go as follows Before starting the procedure the surgeon will clean the skin over the surgical site with an antiseptic solution to help prevent a bacterial infection First the surgeon will make a small incision or cut in the middle of your back or neck Then he she will remove part or all of the lamina bones in your spine From there he she will remove the bone spurs and small disk fragments that have occurred After that he she will close the incision made with stitches and will cover them with sterile bandages to stop infection from happening During the procedure your surgeon may also perform a spinal fusion in which two or more bones are connected in the back to better stabilize the spine Your surgeon may also perform a foraminotomy to widen the area where the nerve roots go through the spine Gower Timothy 2016 NIAMS Health Information on Osteoarthritis 2017 October 04 Retrieved November 07 2017 from https www niams nih gov health topics osteoarthritis Intercellular matrix n d Retrieved November 07 2017 from http medical dictionary thefreedictionary com Intercellular Matrix Homeostasis n d Retrieved November 07 2017 from http www biology online org dictionary Homeostasis