Osteoarthritis Flashcards
What is the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis?
- Mechanical wear-and-tear
- Structural degeneration
- joint inflammation
What are chondrocytes?
Cells responsible for cartilage formation and maintenance
What are osteoblasts for?
Formation of new bone and growth and healing of existing bones
What is Paget’s disease?
A chronic disease that causes bones to grow larger and weaker because of increased resorption
Symptoms: fragile bones, osteoarthritis, misshapen bones, heart disease, bone cancer, hearing loss if skull affected
Which are the joints commonly affected by osteoarthritis?
The big joints most commonly used
Eg. knees, hips, neck, lower back, base of thumb
What is EUGLAR diagnostic criteria used for?
AKA European alliance of associations for rheumatology
It’s for lots of rheumatic diseases
- They provide info and support
What is the difference between Bouchard’s nodes and Heberden’s nodes?
Heberden’s affect distal joints (closest to fingernails), Bouchard’s affect middle joints
They are a sign of degenerative joint disease like osteoarthritis
What is nodal osteoarthritis?
AKA osteoarthritis
- Called that because the inflamed joints will eventually settle and give rise to bony swellings (nodes)
What are the different types of osteoarthritis?
- Thumb base
- Nodal
- Erosive/inflammatory (rare): mostly affects postmenopausal women
What are the radiological findings of osetoarthritis?
- Joint space narrowing
- Juxta-articular bone sclerosis
- Osteophytes
- Subchondral cysts
- Malalignment
What are osteophytes?
Bony lumps that grow around joints when the bone/joint had been damaged by arthritis
What is Chondrocalcinosis?
When there are calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposits in the joint tissues
- Can lead to inflammatory attacks and cartilage damage
What are some causes of chondacalcinosis?
- Osteoarthritis
- Haemochromatosis
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hypophosphatemia
- Hypomagnesaemia
- Pseudogout (CPPD)/gout
- Acromegaly
What are some differences in radiological findings between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis?
Both: joint space narrowing, bone cysts, and malalignment
Osteo: peri-articular sclerosis and osteophytes
Rheumatoid: peri-articular osteoporosis and erosions
How is osteoarthritis treated?
- Education and advice
- Strengthening and range of motion exercises
- Weight loss
- Give analgesia and advice of ice packs and topical agents
- Give local corticosteroid injections
Eventually will need joint replacement
