Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

I–J
infectious arthritis INFLAMMATION of a JOINT that
results from INFECTION. The infectious agent
(PATHOGEN) may be BACTERIA or mycobacteria or a
VIRUS, or fungus and travels to the joint through
the BLOOD circulation. Infectious arthritis, also
called septic arthritis, may also develop as a consequence
of contamination during surgery on the
joint. The doctor may withdraw fluid from the
infected joint to examine its cells and determine
the causative pathogen.
Immediate treatment with the appropriate
ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONS or ANTIFUNGAL MEDICATIONS is
essential to limit damage to the joint. NON-
STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS (NSAIDS) are
effective for relieving inflammation, PAIN, and
FEVER associated with infectious arthritis. Sometimes
needle aspiration or surgery is necessary to
drain accumulated pus from the joint. With
prompt and appropriate treatment, most people
recover from infectious arthritis with few or no
complications or long-lasting residual effects.
See also OSTEOARTHRITIS; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS;
SYNOVITIS; TENDONITIS.
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joint An articulating structure that connects two
or more BONE surfaces to allow movement. The
movement may be slight or the joint fused, such as
the sutures in the cranium (skull). A joint may
function like a hinge, such as the knee and elbow,
or like a ball and socket, such as the hip and shoulder.
In the carpal (hand) and tarsal (foot) joints, the
bones glide along each other. Synovial capsules
enclose joints that allow extensive movement
between the bone surfaces, such as the knees, hips,
and shoulders. The synovial membrane produces
synovial fluid, which lubricates the bone ends
within the joint to reduce friction between or
among the structures of the joint during movement.
Joints are particularly vulnerable to injury
and damage resulting from repetitious motion.
HEALTH CONDITIONS INVOLVING THE JOINTS
ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS
CONGENITAL HIP DYSPLASIA
DISLOCATIONS
INFECTIOUS ARTHRITIS
NEUROGENIC ARTHROPATHY
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
ANKLE INJURIES
ARTHROGRYPOSIS
CONTRACTURE
EPICONDYLITIS
KNEE INJURIES
OSTEOARTHRITIS
SYNOVITIS
For further discussion of joints within the context
of the structures and functions of the musculoskeletal
system, please see the overview section
“The Musculoskeletal System.”
See also BURSA; JOINT REPLACEMENT; LIGAMENT;
MUSCLE; OSTEOARTHRITIS; TENDON.
joint replacement A surgical OPERATION, also
called total JOINT replacement, to remove a
severely diseased or damaged joint and replace it
with a prosthetic joint. OSTEOARTHRITIS and
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS are often to blame for joint
deterioration severe enough to require joint
replacement. The most commonly replaced joints
are hips, knees, and shoulders. Prosthetic joints
are also available for fingers, elbows, and ankles.
Prosthetic joints are made of a variety of materials,
usually combinations of metals (such as titanium)
and plastic composites (such as polyethylene) that
are durable, strong, and light.
Surgical Procedure
Joint replacement requires a hospital stay of three
to seven days. The surgeon performs the operation
with the person under general ANESTHESIA. For hip
or knee replacement, an option is epidural or