LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Arthritis: Joints
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Arthritis is a term used to describe more than 100 diseases that are characterized by damage to one or more joints. This may be due to the body’s response to an injury (such as a fracture) or an infection (viral, bacterial, or fungal). It may be due to gradual wear and tear on the joints or or due to an autoimmune disorder. A patient may have more than one type of arthritis. Symptoms include joint pain, swelling, stiffness, and redness that last more than two weeks.
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Arthritis is an illness that can cause pain and swelling in your joints. Over time, the joint can become severely damaged. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Some kinds of arthritis can cause problems in other organs, such as your eyes, or in your chest. It can affect your skin, too.
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Arthritis can affect any part of the body, including the spine. There are many forms of arthritis but the most common, the most frequently disabling, and often the most painful is osteoarthritis. Osteo- (meaning bone) arthritis mostly affects the weight bearing joints (hips and knees) plus the hands, feet and spine. Normal joints are hinges at the ends of bones usually covered by cartilage and lubricated inside a closed sack by synovial fluid. Normally, joints have remarkably little friction and move easily. With degeneration of the joint, the cartilage becomes rough and worn out, causing the joint halves to rub against each other, creating inflammation with pain and the formation of bone spurs.
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Arthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joints is worn down as a result of wear and tear, aging, injury or misuse. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis... includes loss of cartilage, overgrowth of bone and the formation of bone spurs. This causes the bones under the cartilage to rub together, causing pain, swelling and loss of motion of the joint. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint but most often occurs in the hips, knees, hands or the spine.
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Arthritis is diagnosed through a careful evaluation of symptoms and a physical examination. X-rays are important to show the extent of any damage to the joint. Blood tests and other laboratory tests may help to determine the type of arthritis. Some of the findings of arthritis include:
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Arthritis affects movable joints, that is, those joints where bones meet and move relative to one another. Movable joints cushion the bones and prevent them from rubbing against each other during movement. These joints are composed of cartilage—smooth, elastic tissue—surrounded by a casing called the joint capsule. The joint capsule is lined with a synovial membrane that secretes synovial fluid, a liquid that fills the joint cavity and further reduces friction between the bones. Although all arthritic conditions involve joint pain, the severity, duration, and effects of this pain vary considerably from one condition to another.
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