Which statement best describes how rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis differ in joint involvement and symptoms affecting mobility?

Which statement best describes how rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis differ in joint involvement and symptoms affecting mobility?

• A. RA causes degenerative changes primarily in weight-bearing joints; OA causes systemic inflammatory symptoms across many joints.
• B. RA is trauma-induced and OA is congenital.
• C. RA is inflammatory and often affects multiple joints with systemic symptoms; OA is degenerative, typically affecting weight-bearing joints with localized pain and stiffness.
• D. RA affects only fingers; OA affects only knees.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is distinguishing the nature of the diseases and how their joint involvement translates to mobility. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that often involves many joints, usually in a symmetric pattern, and is accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fatigue, generalized malaise, and prolonged morning stiffness. This widespread inflammation can lead to swelling, joint damage, and impaired mobility across multiple joints. Osteoarthritis, by contrast, is a degenerative wear-and-tear process that typically affects weight-bearing joints—like the knees, hips, and spine—often in a localized way with mechanical pain that worsens with use and short-lived stiffness after inactivity. This pattern explains why OA commonly limits movement in the affected joints due to structural changes and pain, whereas RA can affect movement more systemically due to widespread inflammation. Other descriptions misstate the nature and pattern of these diseases—for example, RA is not trauma-induced or congenital, and OA is not a systemic inflammatory condition. They also mischaracterize the distribution of joint involvement (RA is not limited to a single joint, and OA is not restricted to just the knees).

The key idea here is distinguishing the nature of the diseases and how their joint involvement translates to mobility. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that often involves many joints, usually in a symmetric pattern, and is accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fatigue, generalized malaise, and prolonged morning stiffness. This widespread inflammation can lead to swelling, joint damage, and impaired mobility across multiple joints. Osteoarthritis, by contrast, is a degenerative wear-and-tear process that typically affects weight-bearing joints—like the knees, hips, and spine—often in a localized way with mechanical pain that worsens with use and short-lived stiffness after inactivity. This pattern explains why OA commonly limits movement in the affected joints due to structural changes and pain, whereas RA can affect movement more systemically due to widespread inflammation.

Other descriptions misstate the nature and pattern of these diseases—for example, RA is not trauma-induced or congenital, and OA is not a systemic inflammatory condition. They also mischaracterize the distribution of joint involvement (RA is not limited to a single joint, and OA is not restricted to just the knees).