When assessing a patient diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), the healthcare provider looks for which characteristic of this condition?

Crepitus, also called crepitation, describes the grinding, grating, creaking, or popping sounds that occur when a joint moves. Crepitus is present when cartilage is lost. It is characterized by a popping, grating sound, or sometimes the patient feels bone rubbing against bone secondary to loss of cartilage. Decreased grip strength and bilateral joint swelling are more often seen in rheumatoid arthritis. A waddling gait (a duck-like gait) is sometimes seen in the third trimester of pregnancy (due to anatomical and hormonal changes) or with muscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy.