Friction is caused by the roughening of the cartilage. The cartilage deteriorates as the once-smooth surfaces are no longer able to slide easily against each other. Tendons, ligaments and muscles keeping the joints in place weaken, and the joint becomes stiff, deformed and painful. Osteoarthritis makes bones brittle, thus increasing the risk for fractures. Osteoarthritis most typically occurs after 40, and can be found in the majority of people over 60.
Symptoms can be mild to severe and develop in three times as many women than men.
The joints then become inflamed, and the cartilage, tissues and bone surfaces are destroyed. Scar tissue develops, causing the bones to fuse together. Joints become gnarled and deformed. Rheumatoid arthritis, also called rheumatism or synovitis, affects people from ages 25-50 with women developing it two to three times more than men. Damage can progress to include heart, eyes, lungs, nerves and muscles.