Meaning & use
osteoarthrosis
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedical
A long-term joint condition in which the cartilage wears away over time, causing pain and stiffness.
Grammar: No plural and no article in general use: osteoarthrosis of the knee.
Patterns
- osteoarthrosis of the knee
- suffer from osteoarthrosis
The X-ray showed signs of osteoarthrosis in her left hip.
Osteoarthrosis is more common in older people.
He takes exercise classes to manage his osteoarthrosis.
Common combinations
- osteoarthrosis of the knee
- Osteoarthrosis of the knee made stairs painful.
- suffer from osteoarthrosis
- Many dogs suffer from osteoarthrosis in old age.
- severe osteoarthrosis
- Severe osteoarthrosis may require a joint replacement.
- diagnosed with osteoarthrosis
- She was diagnosed with osteoarthrosis last spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis is the more common modern term, and it suggests an element of inflammation that osteoarthrosis implies less.
- degenerative joint disease
- Degenerative joint disease is a descriptive name used in many clinics and in patient information.
- wear-and-tear arthritis
- Wear-and-tear arthritis is an informal phrase that explains the cause in plain language.
Word family
- osteoarthritis noun
- the common name for the same joint disease
- arthrosis noun
- a disease or degeneration of a joint
- arthritis noun
- inflammation of the joints
- osteoarthritic adjective
- affected by osteoarthritis
Commonly confused: osteoarthrosis or osteoporosis?
osteoarthrosis vs osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition where bones become weak and brittle, whereas osteoarthrosis affects the joints.
Practice
The doctor said the pain in her knee came from ___, a gradual wearing down of the joint cartilage.
Choose one answer.
Osteoarthrosis describes joint cartilage wearing down. Osteoporosis affects bone density, which is a tempting similar-sounding word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “osteoarthrosis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.