Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the world [1]. The disease causes cartilage damage within a joint, osteophyte formation, subchondral sclerosis, and weakening of periarticular musculature [2]. These processes lead to pain, functional impairment, and disability, resulting in a substantial individual and socioeconomic disease burden [3]. The main OA symptoms include arthralgia, joint stiffness, and limited range of movement. Osteoarthritis commonly affects the hips, knees, hands, feet, and spine, and multiple joints are frequently affected [2]. A diagnosis of OA can be made clinically, radiologically, or using both means of evaluation [3]. The American College of Rheumatology has developed widely-used criteria for the diagnosis of hip, knee, and hand OA [[4], [5], [6]]. Erosive hand osteoarthritis (EHOA) is the most aggressive and uncommon form of hand OA and is characterized by joint pain, swelling, and impaired function [7]. Subcortical erosions are seen radiographically in EHOA, and EHOA is associated with greater clinical burden and structural damage when compared to non-erosive hand OA [7].

Treatment of OA has been defined in various ways in the literature, ranging from conservative approaches to joint replacement surgery, depending on disease severity and degree of functional impairment [8]. Updates to guidelines are frequently published, and drug studies at the molecular level are currently ongoing [9,10]. Our knowledge base on osteoarthritis continues to expand with the possibility of developing effective disease-modifying anti-OA drugs (DMOADs) [10]. In addition, due to the aging of the population and an increase in obesity rates, age-related diseases such as OA and its associated comorbidities will continue to place a significant burden on society [11]. This narrative review will discuss the disease burden of OA and its changes over time. The risk factors of osteoarthritis, including advanced age, obesity, genetic factors, and joint-level risk factors and their relation to the burden of osteoarthritis, and its change over time, will be reviewed. Furthermore, we will evaluate the recent impact of the coronavirus pandemic on patients with OA.