This work examines the disabling health conditionknown as osteoarthritis in the context of the hip andknee joint. Three different approaches are used togather in depth information on the overall problem, the role of cognitions in mediating the consequencesof the condition, and possible risk factors for thecondition. A model of why this condition occurs ispresented as well as guidelines for conservativetreatment and for improving outcomes for the patient.As a whole, the author stresses that mechanisms otherthan age and trauma are potentially related to thedevelopment and progression of this condition. Thetranslation of this information into practice has thepotential to impact morbidity and prevalence of thiscondition. Moreover, given the enormity of thisrapidly increasing health problem all over the world, and that there is no cure for this condition, thisinformation is likely to be highly relevant to agingadults, dieticians, medical and allied healthpractitioners, policy makers, psychologists, andresearchers in the field of gerontology, orthopedics, psychology, and rheumatology.