24th February 2025

Signs and symptoms of OA

The most common symptom is pain, which typically improves with rest and worsens with activity, but OA sufferers also complain of stiffness, joint instability and reduced range of movement. In advanced cases deformity occurs, including the classical findings of Bouchard’s nodes (at the proximal interphalangeal joints) and Heberden’s nodes (at the distal interphalangeal joints) in generalised nodal OA (see Figure 1). In lower limb OA, compensation in gait due to antalgia can result in muscle wasting and, consequently, weakness, contributing to the risk of falls.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons (2006). Heberden-Arthrose, Licensed under a Creative Commons licence. Available for free at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Heberden-Arthrose.JPG (Accessed: 17 January 2024).