MSK Flashcards
Difference between strain and sprain
Sprain = injury to ligament
Strain = injury to tendon
Feature of 3rd degree strain
muscle tears all the way through
‘pop’ sensation – muscle rips into 2 or shears away from tendon
Symptoms of ankle sprain/strain
- Swelling
- bruising
- pain after injury
Most common ankle sprain
inversion ankle sprain = where excessive plantar flexion and supination cause the anterior talofibular ligament (ATF) to be affected.
What imaging is used to identify fractures/dislocation?
x-ray
When is x-ray indicated in ankle fractures?
Clinical exam with Ottawa rules:
X-rays are only necessary if there is pain in the malleolar zone and:
- Inability to weight bear for 4 steps
- Tenderness over the distal tibia
- Bone tenderness over the distal fibula
What is fibromyalgia?
Widespread pain throughout the body with tender points at specific anatomical sites.
Features of fibromyalgia
- Chronic, long term, widespread pain >3months
- -> Pain in back and neck, or “all over”
- -> Worsened in cold weather, stress, activity, and associated morning stiffness - Additional symptoms: fatigue, trouble sleeping, memory difficulties, mood difficulties
- O/E: diffuse tenderness, with 11/18 tender trigger points (used less and less in practice)
Diagnosis is clinical
Define polymyalgia rheumatica
Inflammatory condition causing pain in the hip and shoulder girdles.
Pain NOT weakness
–> in older people characterised by muscle stiffness and raised inflammatory markers.
Features of polymyalgia rheumatica
- usually rapid onset (e.g. < 1
- aching, morning stiffness in proximal limb muscles
- also mild polyarthralgia, lethargy, depression, low-grade fever, anorexia, night sweats
Investigations for polymyalgia rheumatica
Raised inflammatory markers : ESR > 40 mm/hr, elevated CRP
What symptom is not associated with polymyalgia rheumatica?
weakness
What is gout?
- Form of inflammatory arthritis
- Uric acid crystal deposition in joint causing episodic acute swelling/pain in joint(s).
- monosodium urate monohydrate in the synovium
Features of gout
- Painful swollen joint - can mimic septic arthritis
- Acute
- Sudden onset of pain lasting 1-2wks
- Spontaneous but may have trigger
- Big toe, ankle joint, finger joints, elbow
- Skin is red and shiny, swollen and hot, tender
- VERY PAINFUL – SHEET CANNOT TOUCH TOE
- May have associated skin findings, Tophi (stone)
- Intermittent attacks of acute joint pain, very tender, red - Typically first presentation is the 1st MTP - PODAGRA
Gold standard for gout
Joint aspiration and crystal analysis.
Negatively birefringent crystals
Other investigations for gout
- Serum uric acid levels- may be raised
- ***PEARL: Patients may have chronic raised uric acid but during an acute attack, uric concentrations may fall and uric acid during a flare is not a good diagnostic test
- Leucocytosis, raised ESR and CRP during acute attack
What are the radiological features for gout?
- joint effusion is an early sign
- well-defined ‘punched-out’ erosions with sclerotic margins in a juxta-articular distribution, often with overhanging edges
- relative preservation of joint space until late disease
- eccentric erosions
- no periarticular osteopenia (in contrast to rheumatoid arthritis)
- soft tissue tophi may be seen
What is pseudogout?
Form of microcrystal synovitis caused by the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals in the synovium
Features of pseudogout
- knee, wrist and shoulders most commonly affected
- joint aspiration: weakly-positively birefringent rhomboid-shaped crystals
- Red, hot swollen, episodic attacks.
Investigation for pseudogout
- x-ray: chondrocalcinosis
- -> in the knee this can be seen as linear calcifications of the meniscus and articular cartilage
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Systemic, Inflammatory Joint disorder
What is osteoarthritis?
AKA “degenerative joint disorder” as it is a degenerative form of arthritis that gets worse with age and is associated with overuse.
Clinical features of osteoarthritis
- All joints can be affected: mostly knees, hip, hands, lumbar and cervical spine
- Worse with more activity and use
- Joint pain and disability
- Affects one or more weight bearing joints - Decreased ROM + function, joint crepitus, deformity, effusion, muscle weakness, wasting
- Joint pain without or without stiffness. Pain»_space;>Stiffness
- Symptoms increase with activity; diminish with rest
- Usually little or no swelling or redness of adjacent tissues
- Heberden’s nodes (DIP) - (osteophytes on distal interphalangeal joints)
- Bouchard’s nodes (PIP) - (osteophytes on proximal Interphalangeal joints)
Joints affected by Osteoarthritis vs Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis = Large weight-bearing joints (hip, knee)
Carpometacarpal joint
DIP, PIP joints
Rheumatoid arthritis = MCP, PIP joints