MSK Flashcards
What are the 4 pillars of inflammation?
- Rubor (red)
- Dolor (pain)
- Calor (hot)
- Tumor (swollen)
How might joint inflammation present?
- Hot, painful, red swollen joint
- Stiffness
- Poor mobility/function
- Deformity
Describe inflammatory pain
- Eases with use
- Stiffness > 60 mins
- Synovial swelling
- Young pt.
Describe degenerative pain
- Increases with use
- Stiffness < 30 mins
- Bony swelling
- Old pt.
Where is a common place for osteoarthritis (OA) to present?
Base of thumb
Describe rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Symmetrical
- Polyarthritis
- Deformity
- Erosion on X-ray
What are the hallmarks of RA?
- Ulnar drift
2. Erosion of bone
What are proximal nodes in OA called?
Bouchard’s nodes
What are distal nodes in OA called?
Heberden’s node
What is the pathophysiology of Raynaud’s?
Capillaries clamp down causing hypoxia in fingers
What is the colour changes in Raynaud’s?
White > blue > red
What inflammatory markers are used for MSK?
- ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate)
2. CRP
What markers are used to test for rheumatoid arthritis?
- Rheumatoid factor
2. Cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP)
What markers are used to test for SLE?
- Anti nuclear antibody (ANA)
2. dsDNA
Which tissue type is associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA)?
HLA B27
What is the prevalence of HLA B27?
Further from equator is higher prevalence; 9% in UK
What are the theories for why B27 is linked with SpA?
- Molecular mimicry
- Mis-folding theory
- HLA B27 heavy chain homodimer hypothesis
What are the important therapeutic targets in HLA-B27 misfolding?
IL17 and IL23
What are the clinical features of SpA?
- Stooped posture
- Achilles inflamed
- Swollen knee
- Psoriasis
- Inflammation of eye
What are the other features of SpA?
SPINE ACHE
- Sausage digit (dactylitis)
- Psoriasis
- Inflammatory back pain
- NSAID good response
- Enthesitis (heel)
- Arthritis
- Crohn’s
- HLA B27
- Eye (uveitis)
What is axial spondyloarthritis (AS)?
Inflammatory arthritis of spine and rib cage
When does AS usual onset?
Late teens - 20s
What increases risk of AS?
- Male
- Smokers
- B27 +ve
- Syndesmophytes
- High CRP
What features are seen in AS?
- Syndesmophytes
2. Sacroiliitis
How is AS diagnosed?
Bone marrow oedema on MRI
What is the progression of disease in AS?
- Inflammation
- Erosive damage
- Repair
- New bone formation
What is the progression of AS?
Back pain with:
- Sacriliitis on MRI
- Radiographic sacroiliitis
- Syndesmophytes
What are the classifications for AS?
- > 3m back pain
- Onset <45 years old
- Sacroiliitis on imagine plus >1 AS feature
- HLA B27 plus >2 AS features
What is the Rx for AS?
- NSAIDs
- Physiotherapy
- Anti-TNF drugs
What are the patterns for psoriatic arthritis?
- DIPJ only
- RA like
- Large joint oligoarthritis
- Axial
- Arthritis mutilans
What is the presentation of psoriatic arthritis?
- Patches of psoriasis incl. in the nail
- Telescoping
- Pencil in cup X-ray changes
- Dactylitis
- Pitting
- Oncolysis
What is the Rx for psoriatic arthritis?
- DMARDs e.g. MTX
- Anti-TNF drugs e.g. etanercept, infliximab
- IL-12/23 blockers e.g. ustekinumab
What is reactive arthritis?
Sterile inflammation of synovial membrane, tendons and fascia triggered by an infection at a distant site, usually GI or genital
Name 3 infections related to reactive arthritis
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Chlamydia
What are the features of reactive arthritis?
- Arthritis (2 days to 2 weeks post infection)
- Conjunctivitis
- Urethritis
What is the DDx for reactive arthritis?
- Septic arthritis
2. Gout
What is the investigation for reactive arthritis?
- Raised ESR/CRP
- Aspirate joint to exclude infection/ crystals
- Urethral swab
- Stool culture
What is the Rx for reactive arthritis?
- Physiotherapy
- NSAIDs e.g. indomethacin
- Anti-TNF e.g. etanercept
- Abx if indicated
What is osteoporosis?
A systemic skeletal disease characterised by low bone mass and micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture
How many osteoporotic fracture are there in the UK each year?
230,000
How does menopause increase risk of osteoporosis?
- Peak bone mass reduces with age
- Bone resorption decreases due to remodelling imbalance
- Loss of restraining effects of oestrogen on bone turnover
How can postmenopausal osteoporosis be prevented?
Oestrogen replacement
How is postmenopausal osteoporosis characterised?
- High bone turnover (resorption > formation)
- Predominantly cancellous bone loss
- Microarchitecture disruption
What is the result of increased bone turnover?
Less trabeculae so less strength to withstand fracture
What are the changes to trabecular with ageing?
- Decrease in trabecular thickness
- Decrease in connections between horizontal trabeculae
- Decrease in trabecular strength and increased fractures
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
- Bone densitometry
- DXA (measures fracture sites)
- T-score (comparative bone loss)
What DXA score defines osteoporosis?
1.
What are the disease risk factors for osteoporosis?
- Inflammatory disease e.g. RA
- Endocrine disease e.g. hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s
- Reduced skeletal load e.g. immobility
What medications increase risk of osteoporosis?
- Glucocorticoids
- Aromatase inhibitor
- GnRH analogues
What Hx risk factors increase risk of osteoporosis?
- Previous fracture
- FHx of osteoporosis or fracture
- Alcohol
- Smoking
What is the risk assessment tool for fracture?
FRAX
What types of osteoporosis drugs are there?
- Anti-resorptive
2. Anabolic
What is the mechanism of anti-resorptive drugs?
Decrease osteoclast activity and bone turnover
Give examples of anti-resorptive Rx
- Biphosphonates
- HRT
- Denosumab
What is the mechanism of anabolic osteoporotic drugs?
Increase osteoblast activity and bone formation
Give an example of an anabolic drug
Teriparatide
What are the risks of HRT?
- Breast cancer
- Stroke
- CVD
- Venous thromboembolic disease
- Vaginal bleeding
Give 3 examples of biphosphonates
- Alendronate
- Risedronate
- Ibandronate
What are the common vasculitis diseases in the UK?
- Giant cell arteritis
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV)
How is vasculitis characterised?
- Vessel size
2. Consensus classification
How does giant cell arteritis (GCA) present?
- Stroke
2. Blindness
What are the clinical patterns of GCA?
- Cranial GCA (headache)
2. Large vessel GCA (malaise, weight loss)
What is the pathogenesis of GCA?
- Activation of dendritic cells in adventitia
- Recruitment and activation of T cells
- Recruitment of CD8 cells and monocytes
- Vascular damage and remodelling
What are the symptoms of cranial GCA?
- New headache
- Scalp tenderness
- Visual symptoms e.g. loss, amarosis
- Jaw claudication
Describe GCA headache
- Abrupt
- Unilateral
- Temporal
What are the symptoms of LV-GCA?
- Constitutional symptoms e.g. malaise, fever
- Polymyalgia
- Limb claudication
What are the signs of GCA?
- Scalp tenderness
- Temporal artery tenderness
- Reduced/absent pulsation
What are the complications of GCA?
- Visual loss
2. Strokes
What are the investigations for GCA?
- Temporal artery biopsy
- USS
- PET-CT scan (LV-GCA)
What is the Rx for GCA?
- Glucocorticoids - promptly (prednisolone)
2. DMARD e.g. MTX
What are the side effects of GCA Rx?
- Osteoporosis
2. DM
What are AAV?
Rare life-threatening, multi-system diseases causing damage to predominantly small vessels
What are the 3 key AAV conditions?
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- Microscopic polyangiitis
What is vasculitis?
Neutrophil driven necrotising inflammation causing direct vessel wall damage
What is the pathogenesis of AAV?
- Pathogenic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)
- Vasculitis
- Granulomatous inflammation
What are the 2 patterns of AAV?
- PR3-ANCA (C-ANCA pattern)
2. MPO-ANCA (P-ANCA pattern)
Give 5 symptoms of GPA
- Epistaxis
- Hearing loss
- Hoarseness
- Iritis
- Cough
What are the investigations for GPA?
- ANCA testing
- Tissue biopsy (renal)
- CT thorax
- CRP/U&E
- CT head
What is the Rx for GPA?
- Cyclophosphamide or rituximab
- Glucocorticoids
- Plasma exchange
- DMARD e.g. azathioprine
What joints does OA affect?
Synovial joints
How many people in the UK have OA?
8.75m people
What is OA?
An age-related, dynamic reaction pattern of a joint in response to insult or injury
Which joint type is most affected by OA?
Articular cartilage
What are the main pathological features of OA?
- Loss of cartilage
2. Disordered bone repair
What is the pathogenesis of OA?
- Wear and tear
- Mechanical forces
- Metabolically active mediated by cytokines
What are the risk factors for OA?
- Age
- Female
- Genetic pre-disposition
- Caucasian
- Obesity
- Occupation - manual labour
Why is age a risk factor for OA?
- Cumulative effect of traumatic insult
2. Decline in neuromuscular function
What are the symptoms of OA?
- Pain
2. Functional impairment
What are the signs of OA?
- Alteration in gait (valgus)
- Joint swelling
- Limited ROM
- Crepitus
- Tenderness
What are the radiological features of OA?
- Joint space narrowing
- Osteophyte formation
- Subchondral sclerosis
- Subchondral cysts
- Abnormalities of bone contour
Describe nodal OA
- Early inflammatory phase in joint - red, swelling
- Bone swelling and cyst formation
- Reduced hand function
What compartment of the knee is most commonly affected by OA?
Medial
What is a key feature of OA of the hip?
Groin pain
What is the additional management for inflammatory OA?
DMARDs
What is loose body in the knee associated with?
Locking of knee
What is the non-medical management for OA?
- Weight loss
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
- Footwear
- Walking aids
What is the pharmacological management for OA?
- NSAIDs
- Capsaicin
- Opioids - tramadol
- Puprenorphine
Intra-articular steroid injections
What is the surgical management for OA?
- Arthroscopy
- Osteotomy
- Arthroplasty
- Fusion
What are the indications for arthroplasty?
- Uncontrolled pain
2. Significant limitation of function
What are the features of Marfan’s syndrome?
- Tall with wide arm span
- Dislocations
- High arches palate
- Arachnodactyly
- Aneurysms
What are the features of Ehler Danlos syndrome?
Hyperflexibility and hyperelasticity
What is the pathology of autoimmune connective tissue disorders (CTD)?
Inflammation leading to scarring in organs affected