Diagnosis

Your doctor may ask about osteoarthritis in your parents, because osteoarthritis appears to have a genetic component.

He or she will examine you, looking for tenderness, warmth and swelling around the joint or joints. There is no test that confirms the diagnosis. Your doctor may order X-rays, but osteoarthritis only shows up on X-rays in the later stages of the disease. Your health care professional also may order blood tests to look for evidence of another arthritic condition.

Expected Duration

Osteoarthritis is a long-lasting condition that usually gets worse slowly over time.