Beyond Wear and Tear

Osteoarthritis isn't just wear and tear.

It's a whole-body, metabolic process happening inside your joints — and understanding it can change how you think about your own care. We translate the research into plain language, and we tell you exactly how sure the science is.

Start with the basics Browse explainers

Cartilage is living tissue

It has cells that respond to your metabolism, not just moving parts that grind down over time.

Metabolism plays a real role

Things like blood sugar and inflammation are part of the osteoarthritis story, alongside joint mechanics.

The science is still developing

Some of it is well established in people. Some is still early. We tell you which is which.

How we grade evidence

Every claim, rated by how sure we are

Osteoarthritis research moves at different speeds for different questions. We never blur the line between what's confirmed in people and what's still early.

Established in humans

Confirmed by research in people with osteoarthritis.

Shown in animal models

Demonstrated in lab research, not yet confirmed in people.

Not yet known

An open question researchers are still working on.

Read how our grading system works →