High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is a chronic, endemic osteochondropathy (disease of the bone), which is mainly distributed from northeastern to southwestern China involving 15 provinces (Yao, Pei and Kang, 2011, p.1095-1100). Tibet currently has the highest incidence rate of KBD in China (Yao, et al). Southeast Siberia and North Korea are also other affected areas (Yao, et al). KBD usually involves children aged 5-15, and to date more than a million individuals have suffered from KBD (Wang, Fu, Shi, and Wang, 2011, p. 502-507). The symptoms of KBD include joint pain, morning stiffness in the joints, disturbances of flexion and extension in the elbows, enlarged inter-phalangeal joints and limited motion in many joints of the body (Cao, Li, Shi, Yue, Sun, Chen, Fu, Hughes and Caterson, 2008, p.680-688). Death of cartilage cells in the growth plate and articular surface is the basic pathologic feature; this can result in growth retardation and...