Diagnostic Procedures and Conditions of the Skeletal System: Joints and Arthritis

arthrography

Procedure to examine a joint. A long, thin needle is used to put contrast dye right into the joint and a series of X-rays is taken with the joint in various positions.

bone density test

An x-ray of the body that measures bone density. Low bone density is an indicator of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

orthosis

An external medical device (such as a brace or splint) for supporting, immobilizing, or treating muscles, joints, or skeletal parts which are weak, ineffective, deformed, or injured.

prosthesis

An artificial device to replace or augment a missing or impaired part of the body.

range of motion (ROM)

How far and what direction you can move a joint or muscle.

goniometer

An instrument for measuring angles or Instrument use to measure ROM.

arthritis

Inflammation of joints.

arthralgia

Joint pain.

arthropathy

Disease of a joint.

bursitis

Inflammation of the bursa.

chondroma

Benign tumor containing the cartilage.

gout

An inflammatory arthritis caused when the immune system attacks the crystals that form when uric acid builds up in a joint.

hemarthrosis

Hemorrhage of blood into a joint.

osteoarthritis (OA)

A common form of arthritis typically with onset during middle or old age that is characterized by progressive degenerative changes in the cartilage of one or more joints.

spondylarthritis

Arthritis of the spine.

degenerative joint disease

Also known as osteoarthritis.

rheumatoid arthritis

An autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation in the affected parts of the body.