Osteoarthritis as a Whole Joint Disease

So, there can be little doubt that the whole joint is involved in OA, resulting in changes in function and proprioception and onset of altered nociception and pain that compound the problem. So, functional assessments of joint function should also be included in any measures of joint changes in OA. Many additional parameters might help in detecting and measuring disease onset and progression instead of relying on traditional measures of loss of and/or damage to articular cartilage. Most, if not all, joint tissues potentially offer important new opportunities as targets for therapeutic intervention.