Osteoarthritis is by far one of the most common forms of arthritis out there, and the percentage of people who have it grows higher as people age.
Although osteoarthritis becomes more common with age, younger people can start to develop it, usually as the result of a joint injury, a joint malformation, or a genetic defect in the joint cartilage. Both men and women have the disease.
Before age 45, more men than women have osteoarthritis; after age 45, it’s now more common in women. It’s also more likely to happen in people who are overweight and in those with jobs that stress certain joints in the body.
