Exerpt: Degenerative joint disease (DJD), traditionally known as osteoarthritis (OA), is the most common pathologic disease of a joint. It has been classically described as a progressive non-inflammatory arthritis involving the articular cartilage and joint complex however there is a localized inflammatory component as well. DJD has been categorized into either primary (idiopathic) when there is no one cause attributable to the arthropathy or secondary when the arthropathy is resulting from a known factor such as trauma or repetitive stress. Any joint can be affected but it typically involves the larger weight bearing joints and the small joints of the hands particularly the distal interphalangeal joint, the proximal interphalangeal joint and the first metacarpal-trapezium joint.