Physiological Diseases of the human Skeleton

Inflammatory Disorders of joints

• Joint pain and discomfort can be caused by many factors

• Bursitis

• Arthritis

• Osteoarthritis (OA)

• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

• Gouty Arthritis (Gout)

Bursitis• Bursitis is a joint disorder that is most commonly caused by falling on one’s knee

• It is commonly called “water on the knee”

• During bursitis the synovial membrane becomes inflamed and may need to be drained of excess synovial fluid

Arthritis• Arthritis comes from latin

• Arth = joints

• itis = inflammation

• There are over 100 different forms joint inflammation

• Out of all the types of inflammation “arthritis” is the most widespread and crippling disease in the U. S.

Arthritis

• All forms of arthritis have the same initial symptoms

• pain

• stiffness

• swelling

• Depending on the form of arthritis other symptoms will occur

Osteoarthritis (OA)• This is the most common form of arthritis

• It is a chronic degenerative condition that typically affects the aged.

• OA affects articular cartilages and is often called “wear and tear” arthritis because over time cartilage will wear down and expose bone.

Osteoarthritis (OA)

• OA is a very slowly progressing disease of the joints

• It is usually irreversible but can be managed and controlled with a mild analgesic such as aspirin or ibuprofen

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)• Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is also a chronic degenerative disease

• It usually starts between the ages of 40 and 50 but can happen at any age

• RA is an autoimmune disease -- a disorder in which the body’s immune system attempts to destroy its own tissues.

Rheumatoid Arthritis• RA affects 3 times as many women as men

• During RA, pannus, an abnormal tissue that clings to the joint, erodes articular cartilages

• When this happens scar tissue is formed and can become ossified and even fully fuse bones together

Gouty Arthritis (Gout)• Gout is a disease in which uric acid (urea) accumulates in the blood and may be deposited as needle shaped crystals in the soft tissues of joints

• This leads to an agonizingly painful attack on a single joint

• The big toe is most commonly affected by gout