Joint Disorders

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Summary

A joint is where two or more bones come together, like the knee, hip, elbow, or shoulder. Joints can be damaged by many types of injuries or diseases, including

Arthritis - inflammation of a joint. It causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. Over time, the joint can become severely damaged.
Bursitis - inflammation of a fluid-filled sac that cushions the joint
Dislocations - injuries that force the ends of the bones out of position

Treatment of joint problems depends on the cause. If you have a sports injury, treatment often begins with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation, and sometimes surgery. For arthritis, injuries, or other diseases, you may need joint replacement surgery to remove the damaged joint and put in a new one.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

Healthy Joints Matter (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Healthy Movements: Your Body's Mechanics (National Institutes of Health)

Diagnosis and Tests

Arthrography (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Bone X-Ray (Radiography) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Joint Aspiration (Arthrocentesis) (Nemours Foundation)
MRI of the Musculoskeletal System (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
Synovial Fluid Analysis (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Treatments and Therapies

Joint and Soft Tissue Injections (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Joint Injection/Aspiration (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish
Joint Replacement Surgery: Health Information Basics for You and Your Family (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
What You Can Expect with a Cortisone Shot (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Related Issues

Bone and Joint Problems Associated with Diabetes (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Hypothyroidism: Does It Cause Joint Pain? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Knuckle Cracking (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Specifics

Extra-Abdominal Desmoid Tumors (Aggressive Fibromatoses) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
Joint Hypermobility: What Causes Loose Joints? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Joint Infection (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
Osteochondritis Dissecans (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sacroiliitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Synovial Chondromatosis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: distal arthrogryposis type 1 (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: familial osteochondritis dissecans (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Kuskokwim syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Sheldon-Hall syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type I (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

Joint Pain (Multiple Joints) (DSHI Systems)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthrography (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthroplasty (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Arthroscopy (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Joint Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Arthritis Foundation Also in Spanish
Arthritis Foundation: Local Office Directory (Arthritis Foundation)
Find a Rheumatologist (American College of Rheumatology)
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

Healthy Joints Matter (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Teenagers

Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Musculoskeletal System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Seniors

Joint Problems (AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)

Patient Handouts

Hypermobile joints (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Joint pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Joint swelling (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Joint x-ray (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Limited range of motion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Steroid injections - tendon, bursa, joint (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish