Osteoarthritis is a deterioration of cartilage and overgrowth of bone often due to "wear and tear". Rheumatoid arthritis is the inflammation of a joint's connective tissues, such as the synovial membranes, which leads to the destruction of the articular cartilage.

Review Date: 4/15/2001 12:00:00 AM Reviewed By:Benjamin D. Roye, M.D., M.P.H., Department of Orthopaedics, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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