Figure 1.

Stages of osteoarthritis and potential target points for therapy. Prevention therapy can be used before disease initiation in normal joints; blocking progression from taking place may be targeted through events that make joint become progressively worse with time. During progression, early and late stages should be separated as slowing of the rate of progression and repair potentials will be more successful in the earlier stages of disease, whereas total joint replacement (TJR) may be the only option left for late stages of disease.