When many people ask what causes arthritis, they often receive the short answer of aging, but that may not be the most accurate answer available. While aging is probably the most prevalent cause, it can be induce by an injury or an ailment in the joint tissue. There are also some risk factors associated with what causes arthritis, such as a person being overweight, which causes additional pressure on the cartilage in the joints, causing them to break down faster.

Consider arthritis like the oil in a car's engine that protects the metal parts of the internal combustion engine from making contact and wearing out. If the oil breaks down or there is not enough oil to keep the parts separated, they rub together and slowly wear out the metal pieces. When there is enough metal rubbing together, the engine will freeze up and remove to function. This similar scenario is what causes arthritis when the cartilage in the joints wears out.

Cartilage is a protein-based material filled with water and over the years the water may dissipate from the cartilage, leaving it dry and subject to abuse by repeated joint movement. As the cartilage becomes dry it can flake apart or form fissure in the material, which is what causes arthritis. As more cartilage disappears, the more the bones rub together causing pain and when all the cartilage is nearly removed, the bones can rubbing together can put an end to mobility.

Other Forms Of Arthritis Have Other Causes

Overall, osteoarthritis is generally caused by aging, but in some cases, what causes arthritis may be an injury to a joint or to the bones in the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by continued inflammation of the cartilage in the joints and is believed to an autoimmune disorder. This is caused by the body's defense system mistakenly attacking the tissues and destroying it, believing it to be an outside intruder. Although affecting nearly five million Americans, it is not the most common form of arthritis.

Crystal deposits are shown as another example of what causes arthritis as they can form without knowledge over an extended period of time, damaging the cartilage and causing it to slowly disintegrate. Another possibility of what causes arthritis can be joints that are deformed at birth. This can lead to faster bone wear, which also causes the cartilage to become damaged as the uneven bones in the joints disrupt the natural movements the cartilage is designed to protect.