Arthritis Flashcards
Describing joint disease?
- Onset – insidious, gradual, sudden, explosive
- Distribution – symmetrical or asymmetrical, Large or small joints, Axial or peripheral joints
- Pattern – intermittent, migratory, additive and acute versus chronic, distal (OA) versus proximal joints (RA)
- Number - Monoarticular or polyarticular
- Systemic or localized disease – fatigue, fever, morning stiffness and weight loss
- Inflammatory (RA) or non-inflammatory (OA)
Joint examination findings?
Range of motion - extent that a joint can be moved within its particular abilities
- Active ROM (by the patient alone) vs Passive ROM (by the examiner)
What can range of motion indicate?
When is ROM decreased?
- Pain in active ROM = periarticular
- Pain in active + passive ROM = articular
Note: ROM is decreased in trauma, chronic arthritis, lack of use and congenital problems
What instrument measures ROM?
goniometer
- a ruler that pivots in the center and measures ROM in degrees
Causes of back pain?
- trauma
- osteodegenerative disorders
- OA, spondylosis, herniated disks - neoplasm
- inflammation
Sciatica?
pain from irritation of the sciatic nerve as it passes through the foramen
- Sciatica is worse on sitting, coughing and Valsalva maneuver and decreases on lying supine
Most common cause of back pain?
95% caused by disk herniation at L4-5 and L5-S1
1. L4-5 causes disability on walking on toes
2. L5-S1 causes disability on walking on heels
Clinical features of inflammatory arthritis?
- pain in the morning
- soft tissue swelling
- sometimes warmth and erythema is present
- aggravated by rest
- relieved by movement
- morning stiffness for >30 minutes
- sometimes systemic features are present
- high ESR and CRP
- WBC > 2000 in synovial fluid
Examples of inflammatory arthritis?
- septic
- rheumatoid
- SLE
- gout
Clinical features of non-inflammatory arthritis?
- pain in the evening
- bony swelling
- no erythema and warmth
- aggravated by movement
- relieved by rest
- morning stiffness <30 minutes
- no systemic features
- normal ESR and CRP
- WBC < 2000 in synovial fluid
Examples of non-inflammatory arthritis?
- trauma
- hemarthrosis
- osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis?
It’s a degenerative joint disease – wear and tear of the cartilage, it is more mechanical than inflammatory
Epidemiology of osteoarthritis?
Occurs in 30% of adults, with age, genetics, previous trauma, obesity, & metabolic disorders such as gout
Symptoms of OA?
- asymmetrical joint involvement
- pain on joint use
Findings on physical exam of OA?
- crepitus
- reduced ROM
- pain on ROM
- Heberden nodes - bony enlargements that develop at the distal interphalangeal joints
- Bouchard nodes - bony enlargements that develop at the proximal interphalangeal joint