Inflammation is commonly associated with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other types of inflammatory arthritis. On the other hand, osteoarthritis is usually explained as "wear-and-tear" arthritis, meaning that it is related to aging and changes in the cartilage. But is it also tied to inflammation?

Osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis in the United States and other Western countries, is increasing in incidence as the population ages, and it is likely to rise further with the obesity epidemic. Significant disability and loss of function are associated with this disease, and its management is an enormous cost to the health care system. Progress in prevention and treatment has been slow, related in part to the insidious onset and generally slow progression of the disease.