Osteoarthritis is a disease characterized by progressive degradation of the joint cartilage (hip, knee, spine or even hands and feet) and is generally related to ageing.

However, other factors may also be involved in the occurrence of the disease, such as an excessive use of joints when performing onerous tasks (e.g. in movers) or sports (e.g. joint trauma in footballers).

Young people may also be affected by this disease.