الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the WorkOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Of all of the specific joint diseases, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent cause of rheumatic complaints. More than 80% of all people over the age of 55 have radiographic evidence of OA. Not all of these individuals are symptomatic, but some 10% to 30% of those affected have significant pain and disability. Osteoarthritis of the knee is the leading cause of chronic disability in the United States, (Peyron, 1992). While some radiographic changes of OA in weight-bearing joints are noted in more than 90% of people over the age of 40, only about 30% of these individuals will have symptoms. For example, among men with advanced radiographic changes of OA, nearly 50% may not have joint pain. Certainly, the risk factors for pain and disability in OA are very different from those related to pathologic change, (Lawrence, 1966).