what structural joint changes are common in older people?

Answer 1

Arthritis; where the body's own immune system starts to attack the joints thinking it is foreign matter.

Cartilage wear and tear is pretty common and most pro football players have torn cartilage in their knees which is quite painful.

Women have a calcium loss issue so their bones can get brittle and break. Tiny fractures in the spinal disks can actually cause partial spinal collapse and make them shrink a few inches.

Answer 2

There are so many things that affect the structure of the joints -- but these are no longer limited to 'older' people!

With exercise as a popular hobby/past time/life style, the wear and tear normally seen in the elderly is now being seen in much younger people. People age 50-55 now have joints that show wear like an 80 year old!

Some typical changes seen are:

1) Off balance wear - this happens when a person has not wore the proper arch support for many years and, while running, walking, or exercising, the knees have turned in or out. Thus, uneven wear on the distal end of the femur causes pain when walking.

2) Damage to soft tissue - this includes not only cartilage, but bursa, tendons, and ligaments. When this damage occurs and is not properly treated, pain later in life will occur.

3) General wear - a person who has worked a high impact job for many years just simply wears out the knees and hips.

There are many other reasons for structural damage, including diseases. If you really would like to read more, I would suggest looking at the following orthopaedic implant manufacturer's websites.