There are some latest developments in medical science for diagnosing osteoarthritis which is a chronic degenerative disorder of joints. As this disorder can cause pain, stiffness and limitations in the mobility of the joints, early diagnosis is necessary to decide the treatment plan. Different options available for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis are physical examination, laboratory investigations and imaging tests.
Medical history and physical examination of the patient are basically helpful for diagnosing osteoarthritis. Medical history includes symptoms, traumatic injuries, current or previous illness, allergies, family history and other medical conditions. In physical check-up of the patient, the doctor examines the affected joints for redness, swelling, warmth and also examines skin rashes, tender points and other body symptoms. Presence of Bouchard’s nodes, Heberden’s nodes and bunions of the feet resulting from enlargement of the joints due to spur formations may help for diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
After physical examination, the doctor prescribes different laboratory tests for diagnosing osteoarthritis. Some blood tests are performed to rule out other types of arthritis. The tests like determination Rheumatoid factor (RF) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR1 and HLA-DR4) usually give positive results in inflammatory arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis, while may be negative in osteoarthritis. Determination of uric acid is another blood test done to rule out the possibility of gout.
Besides these blood tests, analysis of synovial fluid is also important investigation for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. This fluid is aspirated from the joint through a needle by a procedure called arthrocentesis. The synovial fluid is tested for viscosity, chemistry, overall appearance, blood cell counts and micro-organisms to rule out infections. In osteoarthritis, the synovial fluid is usually clear, while it is cloudy in rheumatoid arthritis because of presence of several white blood cells. The fluid is tested for the presence of crystals to rule out gout.
In addition to these laboratory tests, the imaging tests like x-ray, CT and MRI scan contribute a lot in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. Common x-rays findings in osteoarthrtits are narrowing of joint space, formation of bony spurs and formation of cysts. Besides this, MRI scan is more sensitive and it can help to detect acute injuries and early signs of osteoarthritis. In addition to that, ultrasound of affected joints is useful to find fluid collections or effusions.
Besides these laboratory and imaging tests, arthroscopy is an advanced procedure to detect the damage and abnormalities in the cartilage and ligaments.
