Battling Bone Spurs

They are known to be painful and to interfere with the movement of a joint. But bone spurs-common in older adults-often are benign. If you are over 60, chances are good that you have a bone spur, though you may not yet realize it, according to local orthopedic surgeons.

A bone spur-the creation of extra bone-is the result of inflammation, stress, pressure or damage. "It's the body's response to wear and tear on the joints," said Loiy Mustafa, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Capital Orthopaedic Specialists, P.A. with privileges at Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham. Bone spurs are found in joints as well as in places where tendons and ligaments attach to bone. In seniors, a bone spur most often occurs when there is degeneration of a joint due to osteoarthritis, Mustafa said.

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