Family History
Osteoarthritis can be passed down from parent to offspring. The particular gene responsible for this has not been discovered. Abnormalities and deformities that lead to osteoarthritis can be inherited from parents, and with time, these abnormalities begin to show. Mutation of the gene that is related to osteoarthritis can be passed to offspring. Osteoarthritis occurring in the hands have a tremendous genetic link. Heberden’s [4] and Bouchard’s nodes [5] are signs in families; they cause harmful inflammation in the joints and middle fingers. The presence of these nodes in mothers indicates a high tendency for offspring to have it. The effects of genetic factors in OA of the knees and hands of a woman is in the range of 39 per cent to 66 per cent, 60 per cent in osteoarthritis of the hip and close to 70 per cent in osteoarthritis occurring in the spine.