Arthritis (plural: arthritides) refers to inflammation of the joints, caused by a broad range of etiologies.
On this page:
Terminology
Arthropathy is a broader term referring to any disease of the joint, whereas arthritis is a type of arthropathy specifically referring to inflammation of the joint.
Pathology
Etiology
Degenerative
-
osteoarthritis: primary or secondary
neuropathic (Charcot) arthropathy: including diabetic arthropathy
Inflammatory
Infectious
Depositional
Collagen vascular disease
Neoplastic
Classification
Arthritis can also be classified in a number of various ways, including by:
onset: acute vs chronic
number: monoarticular (1 joint) vs oligoarticular (2-4 joints) vs polyarticular (≥5 joints)
distribution: axial vs peripheral
symmetry: symmetric vs asymmetric
character: fixed vs migratory
erosions: erosive vs non-erosive
Radiographic features
Each type of arthritis typically shares one or more of the following imaging features:
soft tissue swelling
subluxation/dislocation
calcification
joint space narrowing
bone production
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