Which condition is a common type of arthritis affecting hips, knees, fingers, thumbs, and spine?

• A. Arthritis
• B. Inflammation
• C. Blood Clot
• D. Osteoarthritis

Answer: (D)

Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative joint disease caused by wear-and-tear that wears away cartilage in the joints. It most often affects weight-bearing joints and the small joints of the hands, including the hips, knees, fingers, thumbs, and the spine. As cartilage deteriorates, bones rub together, leading to pain with movement, stiffness after rest that improves with activity, crepitus (a grinding sensation), and reduced range of motion. This pattern fits osteoarthritis well, because it centers on mechanical wear in those joints rather than systemic inflammation or other unrelated processes. Arthritis is a broad term for joint inflammation, but osteoarthritis specifically describes this degenerative, age- or use-related joint wear that commonly involves the hips, knees, fingers, thumbs, and spine.