Osteoarthritis

Question 1

Define osteoarthritis

Answer 1

Age-related degenerative synovial joint disease characterised by cartilage destruction
Primary – idiopathic
Secondary
• Congenital hip dysplasia
• Trauma
• Inflammatory arthropathies e.g.RA, gout, septic arthritis
• metabolic - haemochromatosis/acromegaly

Question 2

What are the causes/risk factors of osteoarthritis?

Answer 2

• Age
• Female
• Family history
• Obesity
• Physical/manual occupation

Question 3

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Answer 3

• Commonly affected weight bearing joints – knees, hips and spine
• Also affects hands (PIPs and DIPs)
• Joint pain associated with/worsened by activity
• Joint stiffness/gelling after inactivity (transient early morning stiffness)
• Functional difficulties e.g. walking, climbing stairs
• Limited range of movement

Question 4

What are the signs of osteoarthritis?

Answer 4

• Bouchard’s nodes (PIPs)
• Herbeden’s nodes (DIPs)
• Malalignment e.g. genu valgum (knock-knees), genu varum (bow-legs)
• Joint tenderness, crepitus, effusion, squaring

Question 5

What investigations are carried out for osteoarthritis?

Answer 5

• X-ray

• Loss of joint space (joint space narrowing)
• Osteophyte formation
• Subchondral sclerosis
• Subchondral cysts

• Rheumatoid factor negative