arthropathies
joint disease
osteoarthritis
a degenerative joint disease. a common, age related disorder of the synovial joints. characterized by local area of loss and damage to articular cartilage, new bone formation of joint margins, subchondral bone changes, variable degrees of mild synovitis and thickening of the the joint capsule....collagenases (enzyme destruction of collagen) contributes to the disease
rheumatoid arthritis
a systematic inflammatory autoimmune disease associated with swelling and pain in multiple joints. first affects the synovial membrane llining the joint cavity, spreads to the joint and surrounding ligaments and tendons(subsynovial tissue). causes pain, deformity, and loss of function. mostly affects the fingers, feet, wrists,elbows, ankles, and knees sometimes the shoulders, hips, and cervical spine and heart, lung kidney and skin tissue.
gout
syndrome caused by inflammatory response to high levels of uric acid production in the blood (hyperuricemia) and other body fluids. this uric acid crystalizes, forms monosodium urate crystals and is deposited in joints and tissues in the body..involves metatarsophalangeal joints are usually involved. affected individuals likely have and inherited enzyme defect. hyperuricemia can be the result of acquired chronic disease or a drug.
ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
a chronic, inflammatory joint disease characterized by stiffening and fusion (ankylosis) of the spine and sacroiliac joints. the primary pathologic site is at the point where ligaments, tendons, and joint capsule are inserted into the bone. begins with inflammation of fibrocartilage in the joints (vertebrae). as the body repairs this damage, the collagen synthesized by fibroblasts becomes scar tissue, it calcifies and ossifies and replaces all of the cartilaginous structures of the joint, and the synovial joint looses flexibility and becomes unstable.