Eburnation describes a degenerative process of bone commonly found in patients with osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...

 or non-union of fractures

Bone fracture

A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

. It is an ivory-like reaction of bone occurring at the site of cartilage erosion. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the joints characterized largely by central loss of cartilage and compensatory peripheral bone formation (osteophytes). Over time, as the cartilage wears away, bare, subchondral bone is revealed. Eburnation describes the bony sclerosis

Osteosclerosis

Osteosclerosis, an elevation in bone density, is normally detected on an X-ray as an area of whiteness, and is where the bone density has significantly increased...

which occurs at the areas of cartilage loss.

External links

• Primary osteoarthritis
• Osteoarthritis