Arthritis develops five times faster in joints that lack a specific type of collagen.That’s what researchers reported Feb. 20 at the Orthopedic Research Society annual scientific meeting in Washington, D.C.They believe the discovery -- based so far only on studies in animals -- provides a vital new clue to understanding why more than 20 million Americans develop osteoarthritis, the so-called “wear-and-tear” form of the disease.Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, results from the degeneration of joint cartilage and is a leading cause of disability in the United States, according to the American College of Rheumatology. Osteoarthritis can affect most joints, including the neck, lower back, hips, knees and fingers.In the study, animals who lacked type VI collagen got arthritis five times faster than those who did not lack the collagen. Collagen is a protein found throughout the body in muscle, connective tissue, cartilage and bone, and numerous types of collagen have been identified.
