Turkish Journal of
GERIATRICS

Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği - ANKARA Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by pain and disfunction due to progressive and irreversibl loss of joint cartilage. OA is the most common joint disease and it affect every community and ethnic groups. According to results from various studies; OA is the 7th disability cause among women, 12th among men and 5th among elderly population. Due to the ratio of elderly population, particularly large joint OA has become a major health problem. The social impacts, direct and indirect costs are important aspects of OA. Keywords : Osteoarthritis, Epidemiology, Socioeconomic Factors