Differences Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians, Dr. Hanid Audish is a physician and principal investigator of clinical research at Encompass Clinical Research. Hanid Audish, DO, has organized and documented progressions of various clinical studies to assess new treatments for various diseases, including arthritis and obesity.

Although they are different conditions entirely, osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease where the cartilage surrounding a joint degrades, thus leading to direct contact of the bones at the joint, while rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease which causes inflammation and pain of joints throughout the body. Osteoarthritis can be caused by joint dislocation, injuries to ligaments, or torn cartilage. On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis occurs when a person's immune system produces excess antibodies due to misinterpretation of the soft lining around the joints as infection sites. Both conditions are characterized by joint inflammation, and they exhibit the same symptoms, which include joint pain and joint stiffness. Both conditions can range from mild to severe, and each can result in gradual loss of joint function.

Unlike osteoarthritis, which is localized, rheumatoid arthritis may affect the same joints at both sides of the body. For example, if the joint affected is located in a person's arm, the same joint will probably be affected in the other arm as well. In osteoarthritis, however, only a particular joint is often affected. Anti-CCP, a test that assesses the body for an antibody that is linked to rheumatoid arthritis, confirms RA when a person tests positive.