Osteoarthritis Flashcards
What are 4 x-ray changes in osteoarthritis?
- Decrease of joint space
- Subchondral sclerosis
- Subchondral cysts
- Osteophytes forming at joint margins
What is another way of referring to osteoarthritis of the hand?
nodal arthritis
What causes osteoarthritis of the hand?
loss of cartilage at synovial joints, often accompanied by degeneration of underlying bone
not usually inflammation
What may be present in the history of someone with OA?
positive family history
What is the gender ratio of those affected by hand osteoarthritis?
M:F 1:3
What is the typical age at which patients are affected by hand OA?
usually after 55 years
What is more common, hand OA radiologic signs vs. symptoms?
radiologic signs more common than symptoms
What are 2 things that the presence of hand OA increases the risk of?
future hip and knee OA (higher for hip than for knee OA)
What are 5 risk factors for osteoarthritis of the hand?
- Genetics
- Previous trauma of a joint
- Obesity
- Hypermobility of a joint
- Occupation e.g. cotton workers and farmers
What genetics are thought to be involved in hand OA?
genes that encode for collagen type II, thought to be involved especially in interphalangeal involvement
What is a factor that reduces the risk of osteoarthritis?
osteoporosis
What are 4 features of the distribution of osteoarthritis in the hand?
- Usually bilateral
- Carpometacarpal joints (CMCs) distal interphalangeal joints (DIPs) affected more than PIPs
- Painless nodes: Heberdens at DIP joint, Bouchard’s at PIP joints
- Squaring of the thumbs: deformity of carpometacarpal joints of thumb, resulting in fixed adduction
What is the cause of Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes?
caused by osteophyte formation
Herbeden’s = DIPs
Bouchard’s = PIPs
What causes squaring of the thumb in osteoarthritis?
deformity of carpometacarpal joint of thumb, resulting in fixed adduction of the thumb
What are 4 symptoms of osteoarthritis in the hand?
- Episodic joint pain - intermittent ache provoked by movements, relieved by resting joint
- Stiffness - worse after long periods of inactivity e.g. waking up in morning. Lasts only a few minutes compared to morning stiffness in RA
- Functionally, usually no problems
- May be reduced grip strength if DIPs involved which can cause disuse atrophy
What is the key investigation in osteoarthritis of the hand?
x-ray: osteophytes and joint space narrowing
What is the most common presentation of osteoarthritis?
knee
What is the second most common presentation of osteoarthritis?
hip
What are 4 risk factors for osteoarthritis of the hip?
- Increasing age
- Female gender (2:1)
- Obesity
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip
What are the key sympoms of osteoarthritis of the hip?
chronic history of groin ache following exercise and relieved by rest