What Causes Osteoarthritis?

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

There are several factors that increase a person’s chances of developing osteoarthritis. These include:

• Heredity. Some people have an inherited defect in one of the genes responsible for making cartilage. This causes defective cartilage, which leads to more rapid deterioration of joints. People born with joint abnormalities are more likely to develop osteoarthritis, and those born with an abnormality of the spine (such as scoliosis or curvature of the spine) are more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the spine.