Osteoarthritis is shedding its long-standing reputation as a condition of older age. A recent review published in International Orthopaedics suggests that clinicians are increasingly encountering patients with osteoarthritis in their 30s, highlighting a growing need to rethink traditional management strategies. The review, published on May 15, characterizes osteoarthritis as a heterogeneous syndrome driven by a complex interplay of biological, biomechanical, metabolic, genetic, and molecular factors.
According to the authors, this diversity helps explain why many patients fail to achieve optimal outcomes with conventional treatment pathways. Globally, more than 500 million people are living with osteoarthritis, representing approximately 7.6% of the population. Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study indicate that prevalence has increased by 132% over the past three decades…
