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Joint Inflammation - Arthritis

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Arthritis refers to inflammation of a joint. The inflammation may cause pain, swelling, and stiffness.

What is going on in the body?

The joint inflammation of arthritis can occur for many reasons. Often the lining of the joint, the synovium, becomes inflamed. It reacts by making extra synovial fluid. This causes the joint to become swollen. The smooth white surface of the joint, the hyaline cartilage, can become thin, worn, and rough. Any joint in the body can be affected by some form of arthritis.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

There are many types of arthritis, with a host of different causes, such as:

ankylosing spondylitis, which affects the spine and other joints

arthritis caused by mechanical problems, such as a bone fracture or dislocation

gout, which is caused by an accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joint

infectious arthritis, which is caused by an infection such as Borrelia burgdorferi.\ It is passed to humans through tick bites. ',CAPTION,'Lyme Disease');" onmouseout="return nd();">Lyme disease or a Neisseria gonorrhoeae\ bacteria. These infections are usually acquired through sexual contact. A gonococcal infection may also be passed from mother to baby during childbirth. ',CAPTION,'Gonococcal Infections');" onmouseout="return nd();">gonococcal infection

osteoarthritis, a degenerative process that is also called wear-and-tear arthritis

pseudogout, which is caused by an accumulation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in the joint

psoriatic arthritis, which develops in some people who have a chronic skin condition known as psoriasis

reactive arthritis, which may develop after an infection of the urinary tract, bowel, or other organs

rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disorder in which the body makes antibodies to its own tissues

Some of the risk factors for arthritis are as follows:

aging changes in the bones and joints

bodywide infections that affect the joints

diabetes

genetic or hereditary tendency to arthritis

immunodeficiency disorders, such as HIV

injury to the joints

menopause, which increases a woman's risk for osteoarthritis

overweight or obesity

smoking, which doubles a woman's risk for rheumatoid arthritis

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