MSK Flashcards
Characteristics of pain in degenerative joint disease?
Pain increases with use, clinks and cluncks
Characteristics of pain in inflammatory joint disease?
Pain eases with use
When do you get stiffness in inflammatory joint disease?
Greater than 60 mins in the morning and when at rest
When do you get stiffness in degenerative joint disease?
LEss than 30 mins, not prolonged in the morning
What is the swelling like in inflammatory joint disease?
Synovial swelling can be bony, usually hot and red
What is the swelling like in degenerative bone disease?
Swelling, not synovial, bony. clinically not inflammed
What population is more typical of inflammatory bone disease?
Young, psoriasis, family history
What population is more typical of degenerative bone disease?
Older, prior occupation/sport
Where does inflammaotory joint disease affect?
Hands and feet
Where does degenrative joint disease afffect?
1st CMCJ, DIPJ, knees
How does degenerative joint disease respond to NSAID’s
Not convincingly
How does inflammatory joint disease respond to NSAIDs?
Responds well
What is the definition of osteoarthritis?
Long term chronic degenerative bone disease. Loss of cartilage in joints resulting in bones rubbing together. Creating stiffness pain and impaired movement
What are the risk factors for OA?
High intensity labour, older age, high BMI
How do patients with OA present?
Painful joints which are stiff for 30mins or less in the morning. pain worse throughout the day
What are heberdens nodes?
A bony swelling in the distal interphalangeal joint
What is a bouchard node?
A bony swelling in the proximal interphalangeal joint.
What is the acronym for remebering signs on x-ray for OA?
LOSS
What does LOSS stand for?
L - loss of joint space
O - Osteophytes
S - Sclerosis
S - Subchondral cycsts
How do you manage OA?
Analgesia and joint replacaement
What are the complications of OA?
Destruction of the joint and loss of function
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Autoimmune destruction of the synovium causing damage to bone cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
Which joints are typically affected in RA?
Small symmetrical joints of the hands, wrists and feet.
Risk factors for RA?
Young, female, family history, other autoimmune disease
Symptoms of RA?
Painful, swollen, stiff joints for more than an hour in the morning.
Better with movement
Signs of RA?
Swan neck thumb, ulnar deviation and boutonniere deformity.
What is a boutonniere deformity?
Where the middle joint of the finger will not straighten due to damage to the tendons in the finger.
What blood tests would you do for RA?
Anti CCP, rheumatoid factor, raised ESR/CRP
What is AntiCCP?
An antibody usually present in patients with RA
What is the acronym for X-ray signs in RA?
LESS
What does LESS stand for?
L - Lost joint space
E - Erosion
S - Soft tissue swelling
S - Soft bones
How would you treat RA?
NSAIDs, Steroids, Methotrexate, Rituximab
What are DMARDs?
They alter the disease process by stopping or slowing the inflammatory process, reducing pain.
What is rituximab?
Targets anti-TNF which causes inflammation, therefore reducing levels of inflam. Works quicker than DMARDs
What are the complications of RA?
Cervical spinal cord compression, weakness and loss of sensation.
Lung involvement, interstitial lung disease and fibrosis.
What is gout?
Overproduction and under excretion of uric acid causing build up in joints.
What are the risk factors for gout?
Middle age, overweight, male, high purine diet, increased cell turnover.
What type of crystals are formed in gout?
Mono-sodium urate crystals
What foods are rich in purines?
Red meat, liver and seafood
What foods can also cause gout?
High fructose (sweets), high saturated fat
What are the first-line investigations for gout?
Polarised light microscopy of the synovial fluid
What does microscopy show in gout?
Negatively birefringent urate crystals
What blood tests would you do for gout?
Serum urate, levels may be raised but could also be normal.
What are the differential diagnoses for gout?
Septic arthritis with any acute monoarthropathy
What pain releif can you give for gout?
High dose NSAIDS or colchicine if NSAIDs are CI.
What should you prescribe if greater than 1 attack of gout per year?
Allopurinol
How to prevent gout?
Lose weight, change diet, reduce alcohol consumption.
Which joints are most commonly affected in gout?
1st metatarsal (big toe), distal interphalangeal joints.
What is pseudogout?
Deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in the joint surface
Which joints does pseudogout affect?
KNEE, wrist, shoulder, elbows,
Presentation of pseudogout>?
Hot swollen tender joint, usually knees
Signs of pseudogout?
Recent injury to the joint in the history.
What investigations for pseudogout?
Joint aspirate and polarised light.
What crystals show under polarised light in pseudogout?
Rhomboid positive birefringent crystals
Management of pseudogout?
NSAIDS or colchicine
Complications of pseudogout>
Damage to the joint and loss of function over time
Risk factors for pseudogout?
Old age, Diabetes, osteoarthritis, joint trauma/injury, hyperparathyroidism and haemochromatosis, excess iron or calcium.
What is Ankylosing spondylitis?
An inflammatory condition that mainly affects the spine leading to stiffness and pain.
Which gene do most patients with AS have?
HLA-B27
Risk factors for AS?
Males:females 3:1, late teens/twenties
Which are the key joints affected in AS?
Sacroiliac joints, joints of the vertebral column
What is the pathophysiology of AS?
Inflammation caused pain and stiffness, fibrosis and scarring which progresses to bone formation and fusion of the spine.
What are the key presentations of AS?
Lower back pain and stiffness with sacroiliac pain that extends to the buttock.
Pain worse with rest, Improves with movement, worse at night and in the morning,
What X-ray changes might you see with AS?
Bamboo spine, very straight spine with fused vertebrae.
What investigations would you do for AS?
Inflammatory markers CRP and ESR, Genetic testing for B27, X-ray, MRI if X-ray doesn’t show anything;.
What is Schober’s test?
Tests the restriction in the lumbar spine
How do you perform schober’s test?
Find L5 on patient, draw a mark 10cm above, draw a mark 5cm below.
Ask patient to bend, measure the distance between the 2 marks.
Less than 20cm shows lumbar spine restriction
What other conditions are assciated with AS?
Inflammatory bowel disease, such as crohns.