An Approach to Arthritis
William Herring, MD, FACR
Definition
Disease that affects bones on both
sides of the joint space and
Narrows the space in between them
Arthritis or Not
AVN
DJD
Arthritis or Not
PVNS
DJD
Classification
Hypertrophic
Hallmarks
Bone production
Sclerosis
Infectious
Hallmark
Destruction of articular cortex
Erosive
Hallmark
Erosions
Hypertrophic Arthritis
Degenerative arthritis
Primary
Secondary
Charcot arthropathy
1º Degenerative Arthritis
Intrinsic degeneration of articular
cartilage
Excessive wear and tear
Most commonly hips and knees
Less commonly shoulders and elbows
1º Degenerative Arthritis
X-ray Findings
Narrowing of joint space
Subchondral sclerosis
Marginal osteophyte formation
Subchondral cysts
1
º
DJD of knees affects medial,
weight-bearing surface
1
º
DJD of hips affects superior,
weight-bearing surface
1º Degenerative Arthritis
Hands
Not due to mechanical stress
F:M 10:1
Most often involves DIP joints
Sclerosis
Marginal osteophyte formation
1
st
MCP joint of thumb
1
º
DJD of Hands
2º Degenerative Arthritis
Another process destroys articular
cartilage
Degenerative changes supervene
How to recognize
Atypical age (
DJD in 20 year-old)
Atypical appearance (
Marked DJD of 1 hip)
Atypical locations (
CPPD and knee)
2º Degenerative Arthritis
Causes
Trauma
Infection
Avascular necrosis
CPPD
RA
Hemophilia
Bottom line:
Any arthritis
→
DJD
2
º
DJD of right ankle following fracture
Calcium Pyrophosphate
Deposition Disease (CPPD)
May be idiopathic or associated with
Hyperparathyroidism, hemochromatosis
Symmetric involvement: knees (most
common), wrists, MCPs
Sudden onset of pain and fever
Clinically
Tender, swollen, red, LOM
CPPD
Findings
Calcification of articular cartilage
Knee, hip, shoulder
Triangular fibrocartilage of ulna
Symphysis
Large subchondral cysts
Preferential involvement of femero-
patellar compartment
CPPD
Hypertrophic Arthritis
Classification
Degenerative arthritis
Primary
Secondary
Charcot arthropathy
Charcot’s Arthropathy
General
Disturbance in sensation leads to
multiple microfractures
Pain sensation intact from muscles and
soft tissue
Causes
Shoulders – syrinx, spinal tumor
Hips – tertiary syphilis, diabetes
Feet – diabetes
Charcot’s Arthropathy
Findings
X-ray findings
Fragmentation
Soft tissue swelling
Destruction of joint
Sclerosis
Osteophytosis
Charcot’s Knees-Diabetes
Charcot’s Shoulder - Syrinx
Charcot’s Arthropathy of Foot -
Diabetes
Classification
Hypertrophic
Hallmarks
Bone production
Sclerosis
Infectious
Hallmark
Destruction of articular cortex
Erosive
Hallmark
Erosions
Infectious Arthritis
More common in adults
Usually from local trauma-surgery or accident
Children get osteomyelitis
Destruction of articular cartilage & cortex
Tends to affect one joint
Fingers from human bites
Feet from diabetes
Hips from THRs
Normal articular cortex
Normal joint
Infectious Arthritis
Causes
Usually staph - “early” destruction of
articular cortex
Rapid course (unlike most arthritides)
TB spreads via bloodstream from lung
More protracted course
In children, spine most common; in adults, knee
Severe osteoporosis
Healing with ankylosis common in both
Septic arthritis of hip with
pathologic fracture
Normal hip
Normal acetabular white line
Septic arthritis of toe
TB septic arthritis over 1 year
1982
1983
Classification
Erosive Arthritis
Hypertrophic
Hallmarks
Bone production
Sclerosis
Infectious
Hallmark
Destruction of articular cortex
Erosive
Hallmark
Erosions
Erosive Arthritis
General
Synovial proliferation
(pannus formation)
Inflammation
Erosions seen in small
joints (hands) better than
large (hips)
Destroy portion of cortex
Erosive Arthritis
Types
Rheumatoid arthritis
Gout
Hemophilia
Erosive osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid variants
Ankylosing spondylitis
Seronegative spondyloarthropathies
Psoriatic arthritis
Reiter's
Inflammatory bowel disease
Connective tissue disease
Scleroderma
SLE
Jaccoud's arthropathy
Sarcoidosis
Rare
Amyloid
Erosive Arthritis
More Types
Rheumatoid Arthritis
General
Bilaterally symmetrical
Earliest change: STS MCP, PIP, ulnar styloid
Radiocarpal jt most commonly narrowed
Periarticular demineralization
Begins MCP jts of 1
st
and 2
nd
fingers
Large joints usually no erosions
Rheumatoid Arthritis
General
Can lead to 2º DJD
Marked narrowing of joint space with intact
articular cortex, think of RA
Little or no sclerosis
Especially, hips and knees
RA of Hips – Marked narrowing, little
sclerosis
RA Hands
RA of Foot
RA usually
involves 5
th
MT-P joint
first
Gout
General
Long latent period between onset of
symptoms and bone changes
Asymmetric and monoarticular
More common in males
Most common at 1
st
MT-P joint
Tophi rarely calcify
Olecranon bursitis is common
Gout
Findings
Juxta-articular erosions
Sharply marginated with sclerotic rims
Overhanging edges (“rat-bites”)
No joint space narrowing until later
Little or no osteoporosis
Soft tissue swelling
Tophi not calcified
Gout
R3
Gout
R3
Hemophilia
General
Usually seen in large joints
Hemorrhage produces synovitis
which leads to pannus
Incites hyperemic response
Bone resorption and remodeling
Especially in open epiphyses
DDx: JRA
Hemophilia
Findings
Overgrowth of epiphyses
Resorption of secondary trabeculae
Longitudinal striations
Widening of interconylar notch of knee
Joint effusion
Hemosiderin deposit around joint
Hemophiliac Arthropathy
Erosive Osteoarthritis
Post-menopausal females
Changes like DJD but with marked
inflammation and erosions
IP joints of hands and carpal-MCP joint
of thumb
DDx: Psoriasis (skin changes)
Erosive Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid Variants
General
Negative Rheumatoid Factor
Positive HLA-B27
Differ from RA by
Osteoporosis usually absent in variants
Periostitis (whiskering) frequent
Ankylosis more common
Asymmetric peripheral joint changes
Psoriatic Arthritis
Almost always accompanies skin
disease, especially nail changes
Involves DIP joints of hands > feet
Cup-in-pencil deformity
Resorption of terminal phalanges
No osteoporosis
Psoriasis of hands
Psoriatic Sacroiliitis
Like Inflammatory Bowel Dz and Reiter’s - produces
B/L but asymmetric SI joint involvement
Psoriasis of Spine
Non-marginal syndesmophytes
AS
Reiter’s Syndrome
Urethritis, arthritis (50%) & conjunctivitis
Periostitis at sites of tendinous insertion
Whiskering
Like DISH, ankylosing spondylitis
Affects feet more than hands; also SI jt
Resembles RA
Reiter’s also has osteoporosis
Reiter’s Syndrome
R3
Ankylosing Spondylitis
HLA-B27 positive
B/L SI arthritis
Squaring of vertebral bodies
Bamboo-spine from continuous
syndesmophytes
Peripheral large joint erosive arthritis
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Can occur with either Crohn’s or UC
More common with UC
Looks like AS in spine
B/L asymmetric sacroiliitis
Like psoriasis
Peripheral joint STS without erosions
Overview
Hypertrophic – sclerosis & bone production
Degenerative Arthritis
Primary
Secondary
Charcot Arthropathy
Infectious – destruction articular cortex
Pyogenic
Tuberculous
Overview
Erosive - erosions
RA
Gout
Hemophilia
Erosive osteoarthritis
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Psoriatic arthritis
Reiter’s Syndrome
Unknowns
Charcot Arthropathy
Degenerative Arthritis
Gout
Septic Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis
R
L
Secondary DJD-Trauma
Gout
CPPD
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Charcot of Hip
Degenerative Arthritis
Hemophilia
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Charcot Arthropathy
The End