Arthritis Flashcards
(43 cards)
Osteoarthritis generalities
- OA involves the entire joint (bone, ligaments, menisci, joint capsule, synovium and musculature).
- Affects weight-bearing joints and hands in a specific distribution.
- Abnormal locations: shoulder, elbow and ankle –> Suspect trauma or arthitis.
Osteoarthritis Rx / CT findings (5)
- Osteophytes.
- Subchondral cystic changes.
- Sclerosis of subcondral bone.
- Lack of periarticular osteopenia.
- Lack of Erosions
Osteoarthritis MRI findings (4)
- Osteophytes.
- Subchondral cystic change.
- Subchondral edema.
- Synovitis.
Osteoarthritis of the hand (Locations)
- Distal interphalangeal joints (Heberden nodules).
- Proximal interphalangeal joints (Bouchard nodules).
- First carpometacarpal joint.
Erosive osteoarthritis of the hand - Generalities
- Eldery females.
- Combines clinical findings of AR and imaging features of OA.
- Erosions are present (limited to the hand, commonly DIP).
- Gull-wing appearance of the DIP.
Osteoarthritis other locations (Shoulder, foot and knee)
- Shoulder: Glenohumeral joint narrowing (Grashey view RX - AP 40° external rotation).
- Foot: 1° MTP –> Hallux rigidus. Also affects the talonavicular joint –> Dorsal beaking.
- Knee: Asymmetrical involvement of the medial tibiofemoral compartment.
Osteoarthritis of the hip
- Characteristic superolateral space narrowing.
- Less commonly medial or axial concentric cartilage space loss.
- Axial narrowing without osteophytes: Typical of AR.
Degenerative changes in the spine
- OA affects: Zygapophyseal, atlantoaxial, uncovertebral , costovertebral and sacroiliac joints.
- OA Doesn’t affect the disc-endplates.
- Vaccuum phenomenon is pathognomonic for degenerative change.
Kümmell disease
Gas in a vertebral body compression fracture representing osteonecrosis.
Diffuse idiophatic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). Generalities
- Defined as flowing bridging anterior osteophytes spanning at least 4 vertebral levels.
- May be associated with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, which may cause spinal stenosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis generalities
- Symmetrical joint pain, swelling and morning stiffness.
- Rheumatoid factor is typically positive.
- Affects (in order): Hands, wrists and feet. Advanced cases: cervical spine, knees, shoulders and hips.
- Erosions are the imaging and pathologic hallmarks of AR.
Rheumatoid Artrhitis RX and CT findings (5)
- Marginal erosions.
- Soft-tissue swelling.
- Diffuse, symmetric joint space narrowing.
- Periarticular osteopenia.
- Joint subluxations.
Rheumatoid Artrhitis MRI findings (4)
- Marginal erosions.
- Synovitis.
- Subchondral edema.
- Joint subluxations.
Rheumatoid Artrhitis in the hand
- Affects PIP, MCP and the carpal articulations (DIPs are usually spared).
- Erosions: radial aspect of 2° 3° metacarpal heads, the radial and ulnar aspects of the bases of proximal phalanges and the ulnar styloid.
- Common subluxations: Bouttoniere deformity (PIP flexion and DIP hyperextension), Swan neck deformity (PIP hyperextension and DIP flexion), ulnar subluxation of the fingers at MCP.
- Late-stage AR may produce ankylosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis in the feet and hip
- Affects MTF joints and the talocalcaneonavicular joint.
- Axial migration of the femoral head.
- Protrusio deformity in severe cases.
Protrusio deformity definition
- > 3 mm medial deviation of the femoral head beyond the ilioischial line (males).
- > 5 mm deviation (females).
Reumathoid arthritis in the knee
- All three joint spaces may be affected (medial and lateral tibiofemoral and patellofemoral).
- Erosions are not a prominent manifestation on the knee.
Reumathoid arthritis in the spine
- 70% of patients are affected.
- Subluxation of multiple levels, osteopenia, erosions of the odontoid, facet joints, vertebral endplates and spinous processes.
- Unlike OA there is no bone production.
- Atlanto-axial C1-C2 subluxation: anterior, vertical and posterior.
Atlanto-axial subluxations types (3)
- Anterior: By laxity of the transverse ligament. Atlanto-dental interval >2.5 mm in adults and >5 mm in children.
- Vertical: Atlantoaxial impaction, protrusion of the odontoid through the foramen magnum.
- Posterior: Due to odontoid erosion or fracture.
Seronegative spondyloarthropaties generalities
- 4 types: Ankylosing spondilitis, psoriatic arhtritis, reactive arthritis and IBD associated arthropathy.
- Negative rheumatoid factor.
- Usually HLA-B27 positive.
Seronegative spondyloarthropaties sacroiliitis
- Only the inferior aspect of the SI joint is affected.
- Erosions first involve the iliac aspect of the SI joint.
- Symmetric: IBD and ankylosing spondylitis.
- Assimetric: Psoriatic arthritis and reactive arthropathy.
Ankylosing spondylitis generalities
- Young men with HLA B27.
- Can be associated with: pulmonary fibrosis, aortitis and cardiac conduction defects.
- Earliest findings: Symmetric erosions, widening and sclerosis of the sacroiliac joints.
- May produce an Andresson lesion.
Andersson lesions
Pseudoarthrosis occuring in a completely ankylosed spine
Ankylosing spondylitis findings in the spine
- Romanus and shiny corner lesions.
- Delicate syndesmophites and bamboo spine.
- Dagger sign.
- Squaring of the vertebral body.
- Cervical fusion.