Knowra Arthropathy Arthropathy Arthropathy is any disease or disorder affecting one or more joints, damaging joint structures or impairing their function. It includes inflammatory, degenerative, infectious, crystal-related, and traumatic conditions.
Synovial joint : A joint with a fluid-filled cavity, articular cartilage, and a capsule that permits movement. Most familiar arthropathies affect this joint type and its cartilage, capsule, or lining.
Osteoarthritis : A whole-joint disorder involving cartilage loss, bone remodeling, and other structural changes. It is a common degenerative arthropathy and a major cause of joint disability.
Synovitis : Inflammation of the synovial membrane, often causing joint swelling, pain, and reduced movement. Synovial inflammation is a central mechanism in several immune-mediated arthropathies.
Arthritis : Inflammation of one or more joints, from diverse causes. Arthritis is an inflammatory subset of arthropathy, not a synonym for every joint disorder.
Articular cartilage : Specialized cartilage covering the ends of bones in movable joints, reducing friction and distributing load. Its breakdown is a defining structural feature of several degenerative arthropathies.
Rheumatoid arthritis : A systemic autoimmune disease that commonly causes chronic inflammatory damage to multiple joints. It exemplifies an immune-mediated arthropathy that can erode joints over time.
Joint effusion : An abnormal accumulation of fluid within a joint cavity. Effusion is a physical consequence of many inflammatory, infectious, and traumatic arthropathies.
Arthrosis : A term commonly used for noninflammatory degenerative joint disease, especially osteoarthritis. It is often contrasted with inflammatory arthritis, though usage varies across medical contexts.
Synovium : The tissue lining a joint capsule that produces synovial fluid and helps maintain the joint environment. Inflammation of this lining drives damage in many inflammatory arthropathies.
Septic arthritis : Joint inflammation caused by microorganisms, usually bacteria, entering the joint space. This infectious arthropathy can rapidly destroy a joint and requires urgent treatment.
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