Osteoarthritis: degenerative or "wear and tear" disease, The articular cartilage of weightbearing joints is damaged/breaks down, surface of cartilage was rough and worn interfering with joint movement, tissue damage causes enzyme release, accelerating disintegration of cartilage, subchondral bone may bone may be exposed and damaged, cysts and osteophytes (bone spurs) develop around the margin of the bone, pieces of osteophytes/cartilage break off into synovial cavity, joint spaces become narrower(easily seen on x-ray), may be secondary inflammation of surrounding tissues, no systemic effects are present, primary form associated with obesity and aging, secondary form associated with injury or abuse, crepitus may be heard, onset is gradual, pain is insidious, Rheumatoid Arthritis: autoimmune disorder causing chronic systemic inflammatory disease, remissions and exacerbations lead to progressive damage of the joints, commences insidiously with symmetric involvement of small joints, followed by inflammation and destruction of additional joints, synovitis: inflammation recurs, synovial cells proliferate, pannus formation: granulation tissue from the synovium spreads over the articular cartilage. releases enzymes/inflammatory mediators destroying the cartilage, cartilage eroded by enzymes from pannus, nutrients that are normally supplied by synovial fluid to cartilage are cut off by pannus, fibrosis: pannus between bone ends becomes fibrotic, limiting movement, ankylosis: joint fixation and deformity develop, acute inflammation leads to disuse atrophy of muscles, alignment of bones in joint shifts, muscle spasm draws bones out of normal alignment, contracture and deformity with subluxation develop, synovial fluid analysis demonstrates the inflammatory process. RF may be present in serum but not specific for diagnosis, abnormal immune response causing inflammation of synovial membrane with vasodilation, increased permeability, formation of exudate causing swollen painful joint, synovitis result of rheumatoid factor: an antibody against immunoglobin G and others (found in blood of people with this condition),

Joint Disorders

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