Blood test requiring just one drop to detect arthritis two years before any symptoms could become available in Britain by 2020

Currently 8.5million Brits suffer from osteoarthritis, with many late diagnoses

Late stage diagnoses can mean hip or knee replacement is the only option

Test detects protein glucosepane which is released when joints are damaged

A simple blood test for the most common form of arthritis costing under £200 could detect the condition two years before any symptoms.

The osteoarthritis test, which requires just a single drop of blood, is 98 per cent accurate and picks up a protein fragment released into the bloodstream by joint damage. It could be available for use within two years.

Currently 8.5million people in Britain suffer from osteoarthritis. Often it is diagnosed at such a late stage that a hip or knee replacement is the only option.

But the test could help people catch the condition early, so they could make changes such as losing weight or doing exercise to try to avoid debilitating symptoms later on. Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear of the cartilage which helps our joints cope with bending and lifting.