Structure-/disease-modifying agents for osteoarthritis.

OA is the most common articular disease. Age is its most notable risk factor. With the aging of the population of the developed world, there will be a growing need for better understanding of OA and for superior therapies. There is increasing appreciation for the role of inflammation in OA. There also is the realization that OA is not only a disease of cartilage, but of the entire joint. This has led to increasing interest in structure/disease modification as the goal in OA therapy. However, there are no universally proven structure-/ disease-modifying interventions.