MSK + Rheum Flashcards
What is the functional unit of bone?
Osteon
What bone is found on the inside and which on the outside?
- Outside = hard cortical bone
- Inside = soft spongy trabecular/cancellous bone
What is found within trabecular bone?
Bone marrow
What canals travel vertically within bone?
Haversion canal
What canals travel horizontally within bone and connect osteons?
Volkmann canal
What is the main inorganic component of bone?
Hydroxyapetite
What is the main organic component within bone?
Type 1 collagen
What are the three types of joint?
- Fibrous - skull sutures
- Cartilaginous - IV discs
- Synovial
What are the 3 components of synovial joint?
- Articular cartilage
- Joint capsule
- Synovial cavity (filled with fluid)
What is the most common type of arthritis?
Osteoarthritis
What causes joints to become osteoarthritic?
Mechanical shearing forces
What are some risk factors for osteoarthritis (5)?
- Age (50+)
- Female
- Obesity
- Occupation/ lifestyle
- Genetics
What gene has been linked to osteoarthritis?
COL2A1
How do arthritic joints form in osteoarthritis?
Chondrocyte metalloproteinase production (degrades T2 collagen) –> imbalanced cartilage breakdown > repair
Where is T2 collagen found?
Cartilage
How does bone try and compensate for its degradation in OA?
T1 collagen grows to replace T2 breakdown; abnormal bony growths form
What are the abnormal bony lumps seen in osteoarthritis called?
Osteophytes
When is joint pain worse in osteoarthritis?
Worse with movement, as day goes on
Which joints are affected the most by osteoarthritis (5)?
- Hips
- Knees
- DIP
- Base of thumb (1st CMC)
- Wrist
Mostly weight bearing joints
What are bony growths/ nodes called on the DIP and PIP?
- DIP = Hebdern nodes
- PIP = Bouchard nodes
H after B, therefore further away (DIP)
How is OA investigated?
- X-ray of affected joints
Not essential if patient over 45
What signs are seen in an OA X-ray (4)?
- Loss of joint space
- Osteophytes
- Subchondral sclerosis (increased density along joint line)
- Subchondral cysts
How is OA managed (3)?
- Lifestyle changed (reduce weight, physio)
- NSAIDs (pain relief, inflammation)
- Surgical joint replacement
What is the restoration of a joint called?
Arthroplasty
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Inflammatory, autoimmune polyarthritis
What pattern does RA affect the joins?
Symmetrically
What are some risk factors for RA?
- Female
- 30-50 years
- Smoking
- Genetics
What genes are associated with RA (2)?
- HLA-DR4
- HLA-DRB1
What protein mutation is seen in RA?
Arginine –> citruline; mutation in T2 collagen
What antibodies form as a result of this mutation in T2 collagen in RA?
- RF antibody (against IgG)
- Anti-CCP (against citruline)
What is released in RA joints that causes the synovial lining to proliferate?
Cytokines (e.g. interferons, TNF)
What is the growth + expansion of the synovial lining called?
Pannus
What effects does the growth of the pannus have within the joint?
Damages bone + cartilage –> more inflammation
When is joint pain worse with RA?
Worst in the morning, improves with movement
What signs are seen in the hands of people with rheumatoid arthritis (4)?
- Boutonnières deformity (hyperextended DIP, flexed PIP)
- Swan neck deformity (flexed DIP, hyperextended PIP)
- Z thumb shape
- Ulna deviation of fingers
Which joints are commonly affected in RA (4)?
- PIP
- MCP
- Wrist + ankle
- Cervical spine
What temperatures are RA joints?
Often hot
What are some extra-articular manifestations of RA (4)?
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Atherosclerosis
- Skin nodules (often on elbows)
- Spinal cord compression
How is RA investigated (3)?
- ESR/CRP high
- RF +ve, anti-CCP (more specific 80%)
- X-ray
What is seen in an X-ray of those with RA (4)?
- Loss of joint space
- Boney erosions
- Soft tissue swelling
- Periarticular osteopenia
How is RA managed order medications are used?
- NSAIDs/ steroids for flares
- DMARD
- 2 DMARDs
- DMARD + biologic
- DMARD + rituximab
What is the first line DMARD for RA?
Methotrexate
What DMARDs can be used in combination?
- Sulfasalazine
- Hydroxychloroquine (more mild, anti-malarial)
How does methotrexate work?
Interferes with folate metabolism
What is sometimes taken with methotrexate?
Folic acid
What is the first line biologic class for RA?
TNF inhibitor
Give an example of a TNF inhibitor?
Infliximab
What is infliximab?
Monoclonal antibody against TNF
What is a second line biologic drug?
Rituximab
How does rituximab work?
Monoclonal antibody, targets CD20 on B-cells
What is gout?
Deposition of uric acid crystals along a joint
Is gout inflammatory or non inflammatory?
Inflammatory (most common inflammatory arthritis in uk)
What are some risk factors for gout (5)?
- Male
- Obesity
- High purine diet
- Kidney disease
- Middle aged (50-70)
Give some examples of purine rich foods (3)?
- Red meat
- Seafood
- Alcohol (especially beer)
What food type is protective against gout?
Dairy
What is the most common type of uric acid crystal?
Monosodium urate crystals
Explain how monosodium urate crystals form?
Purine –> uric acid –> monosodium urate
What is the pattern of joints affected by gout?
Often only 1 joint is affected
Which joints are commonly affected by gout (3)?
- Big toe (MTP)
- Wrist
- Base of thumb (CMC)
What are the sign/ symptoms of gout at the joint?
Sudden onset (pain, red, swollen, hot, can’t put weight on it)
How is gout diagnosed?
Joint needle aspiration
What features are present in fluid aspirated by a needle of those with gout (3)?
- Needle shaped crystals, yellow
- No bacterial growth
Known as -ve birefringent
How is gout treated (3)?
- NSAIDs
- Colchicine
- Steroid injection
What medication can be given as a gout prophylaxis?
Allopurinol
How does allopurinol work?
Xanthine oxidase inhibitor
What does xanthine oxidase do?
Converts purines to uric acid
What is pseudogout?
Calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition along joints
What are some risk factors for pseudo gout (5)?
- Female
- Old (70+)
- Diabetes
- Metabolic diseases
- OA
What is the pattern of joint involvement in pseudogout?
Often polyarticular with knee involvement
What features are present in pseudo gout joint aspiration (3)?
- Rhomboid shaped crystals
- No bacterial growth
+ve birefringent
How is gout managed (3)?
- NSAIDs
- Colchicine
- Steroid injection
What is osteoporosis?
Low bone density
What is osteomalacia?
Low mineralisation of bone
What are some risk factors for osteoporosis (9)?
- Steroids
- Hyper(para)thyroidism
- Alcohol + smoking
- Thin (low BMI)
- Testosterone low
- Early menopause (low oestrogen)
- Renal/ liver failure
- Erosive + inflammatory disease
- DMT1 (malabsorption)
What score measures the extent of osteoporosis?
T score
What is the T score?
Number of standard deviations below a healthy adults bone density
What are the ranges of normal/ abnormal T scores (3)?
- 0 to -1 = normal
- -1 to -2.5 = osteopenia
- <-2.5 = osteoporosis
Fracture = severe osteoporosis
What is the main symptom of osteoporosis?
f R a C T Ur E s
How is osteoporosis investigated?
DEXA scan
How does a DEXA scan work?
Two X ray beams, absorption by bone measured, compared to reference value
What is the first line drug for osteoporosis prevention?
Bisphosphinates
Give an example of a bisphosphinate?
Alendronate
How do bisphosphinates work?
Inhibit RANK-L singling (inhibit osteoclasts)
What other medications can be used to treat osteoporosis?
- Denosomab (monoclonal antibody)
- HRT (oestrogen)
- Raloxifene (stimulates oestrogen receptors on bone)
What supplement can be given to people with osteoporosis?
Calcium + vitamin D3 (e.g. adcal-D3)
What is systemic lupus erythematosis?
Type 3 hypersensitivity reaction involving anti-nuclear antibodies
How does SLE cause inflammation?
Apoptosis occurs –> inside debris exposed to immune cells (particularly nuclear antigens) –> anti-nuclear antibodies form –> immune complex deposition = inflammation
What are some risk factors/ causes of SLE (5)?
- Female
- Afro-carribean
- Genetics
- Younger adult (20-40)
- Sunlight exposure (more apoptosis)
What genes are associated with SLE (3)?
- HLA B8
- HLA DR2 or 3
What are the signs/ symptoms of SLE (6)?
- Butterfly rash (malar rash - photosensitive)
- Glomerulonephritis
- Joint pain
- Raynauds
- Vasculitis
- Serositis (mesothelium inflammation - e.g. pleurisy)
How is SLE diagnosed (3)?
- Bloods = high ESR (CRP often normal, anaemia
- Urine = haematuria, proteinurea (nephritic)
- Serology = ANA Abs, anti ds DNA Abs
How is SLE treated (3)?
- Lifestyle - avoid sun
- NSAIDs/ steroids
- DMARDs - hydroxychloroquine
What is anti-phospholipid syndrome?
Antiphospholipid antibodies are present in the blood leading to a hyper coagulable state
What are the two types of antiphospholipid syndrome?
- Primary - idiopathic
- Secondary - to another disease e.g. SLE
What are the symptoms/ signs of antiphospholipid syndrome (4)?
- Arterial/ venous clots
- Recurrent miscarriages
- Thrombocytopenia
- Livedo reticularis
What is livedo reticularis?
Purple lace like rash on skin
What 3 antibodies would suggest a diagnosis of aPL syndrome?
- Lupus anticoagulant
- Anticardiolipin antibodies
- Anti-beta-2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies
How is aPL syndrome treated?
Warfarin (INR=2-3)
How is aPL syndrome treated in a pregnant woman?
Aspirin + heparin
What is scleroderma?
Autoimmune condition characterised by excessive production of collagen (fibrosis)
What is systemic scleroderma?
Scleroderma that affects the whole body not just localised to the skin
What is the most common type of systemic scleroderma?
Limited cutaneous systemic scleroderma (CREST syndrome)
What are the symptoms of scleroderma (5)?
- Calcinosis
- Raynauds - digit ischemia due to vasospasm, (often brought on by cold)
- OEsophageal dysmotility
- Sclerodactyly
- Telangiectasia
What is calcinosis in scleroderma?
Calcium deposits under skin (subcutaneous tissue)
What is sclerodactyly?
Thickening and hardening of the skin on the hands
What is telangiectasia?
Dilated small BVs in skin