NICE opens consultation on osteoarthritis guideline update

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has opened a public consultation on the update of its clinical guideline on the care and management of osteoarthritis in adults. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, with around 1 million people seeing their GP about it every year. The condition affects the joints, most commonly the knees, hips, spine and small joints of the hands, but it can also occur in other joints. The main characteristics of osteoarthritis are loss of, or damage to, cartilage; inflammation of the tissues around the joint; and tiny spurs of bone growing