Osteoarthritis is known as a degenerative joint disease affecting millions of people worldwide, often leading to chronic pain and joint stiffness. Conventional methods to detect the condition involve imaging and patient reporting symptoms.

Experts have created a test that can detect the onset of osteoarthritis in patients up to ten years earlier than current testing methods.

What is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease globally, where the protective cartilage between the bones starts deteriorating, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and limited mobility.

Cartilage degradation often leads to brittle bones, bone spurs, and loss of joint fluid. The disease usually affects weight-bearing joints like the spine, hips, and knees, as well as the hands and fingers.

Current Diagnostic Methods

Medical professionals often rely on imaging tests like X-rays, MRI, or CT scans to detect joint changes that occur due to osteoarthritis.

However, these tests only show severe damage, making it difficult to detect the disease’s onset or its progression.

Another diagnostic method involves physicians asking for a patient’s physical history and symptoms.

However, since injuries, physical activity levels, and aging can mimic osteoarthritis symptoms, it is challenging to diagnose the disease at its onset accurately.

The Development of the Test

A study published in the journal Annals of Rheumatic Diseases in April 2021 revealed the development of a new blood test that can detect osteoarthritis up to a decade before it becomes symptomatic.

The test uses biomarkers to reveal early signs of joint degeneration, osteoarthritis’s most common symptom.

The test measures levels of three specific biomarkers in the blood. These biomarkers indicate the loss of cartilage in the joint and are chemical byproducts from the breakdown of the cartilage tissue. The biomarkers include:.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP)
Myostatin-like protein 3 (MSTNLP)
Crossed-linked C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II)

The research found that the biomarker levels’ increase was directly proportional to the severity of the osteoarthritis, ranging from early-stage to severe-stage of the condition.

Possible Benefits of the Test

The revolutionary test allows physicians to recognize patients with early indications of osteoarthritis, which, once detected, can help prevent disease progression and the need for invasive procedures like joint replacement surgery.

The test could lead to more personalized care, as doctors would be able to monitor the biomarker levels and adjust their treatment regimen accordingly.

The test’s early detection and personalized treatment could also lead to significant cost savings for the healthcare system.

By identifying and treating patients before the severe symptoms, physicians can prevent or delay surgery, reducing overall healthcare costs.

Clinical Significance of the Test

The new test could be valuable in predicting osteoarthritis’s progression, the effectiveness of new treatments in development, and assisting clinicians in designing and tailoring therapeutic exercise plans.

If doctors identify the progressive disease early, they can suggest appropriate treatments and lifestyle changes that may prevent further degeneration.

Furthermore, the test’s significant clinical significance could extend beyond osteoarthritis.

Experts believe that the biomarkers investigated in this study could inform research into the cause of joint degeneration, including cartilage defects due to inflammatory arthritis or other autoimmune diseases.

Conclusions

The new blood test can detect osteoarthritis years before symptoms appear, providing a significant diagnostic breakthrough for millions of people worldwide.

By using specific biomarkers in the blood, physicians can recognize early-stage degeneration and provide early treatments that can prevent or delay more severe symptoms and procedures. The clinical significance of the new test is significant, informing further research into other joint degenerative diseases.