Osteoarthritis (OA) is by far the most common rheumatologic disease; in advanced age, almost everyone is affected by the disease. Nevertheless, the pathogenesis of OA remains largely unknown.
Different pathomechanisms take place in the articular cartilage and the underlying bone, which significantly affect these tissues and sooner or later lead to joint damage.
On the basic scientific side, the working group "Osteoarthritis" is concerned with molecular biological processes in healthy and diseased joints in order to better understand the pathology of OA. From cell culture, to histology, to gene sequencing, a variety of methods are used to help us identify the complex processes at the cellular level that are responsible for the development/progression of OA.
On the clinical side, the group is conducting therapeutic studies in finger polyarthrosis on the one hand; on the other hand, we are concerned with the optimization of diagnostic possibilities, especially radiographic imaging of osteoarthrotic joints, as well as epidemiological studies in patients with finger polyarthrosis.
