Arthrology is a medical science that studies joints and their diseases. The section covers clinical and anatomical forms of joint pathologies - dystrophic, inflammatory, tumor, mixed and others, studying the issues of their pathogenesis, etiology, clinic, epidemiology, developing diagnostic methods, classification, methods of prevention and treatment.
Arthrology is considered by scientists to be an integral part of rheumatology. The content of both sciences at the initial stages of the development of medicine was almost identical. The deepening of knowledge about the physiology and pathology of the joints, which has occurred over the past decades, has made it possible to increase the number of arthrological studies and to separate arthrology from anatomy into a separate section of internal diseases.
Problems of arthrology
The most important tasks of modern arthrology are:
- Identification of pathogenetic and etiological factors of most arthritis and hron, the etiology of which has not been established, which complicates the process of developing methods for their diagnosis and treatment, as well as improving alreadyexisting classification of joint pathologies. The nosological affiliation of a number of joint diseases has not yet been determined, including psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and others.
- Clarification of information on the pathogenetic significance and sequence of initial changes in synovia, articular cartilage, bone sections in the development of arthritis and arthrosis of various forms.
- The study of synovia and articular cartilage, from the point of view of biology, and their impact on the development of endocrine, neurotrophic and metabolic pathologies.
- Formation of modern ideas about the impact on the pathogenesis of collagen diseases, disorders of protein-enzyme metabolism and immunogenesis.
- Development of effective and differentiated treatment of various forms of joint pathologies, since modern arthritis therapy has low efficiency and is empirical in nature.
- Research of diseases of the joints in terms of pathologies of the body as a whole, and not local pathological processes.
- Creation of preventive measures aimed at preventing chronic forms of joint diseases.
- Formation of the arthrological he althcare service, since the issues related to this section of medicine are practically not generalized and have not found practical implementation in any of the countries of the world.
The problems of arthrology, as shown by the history of the creation of anti-rheumatic leagues, attract the attention of a huge number of scientists and doctors from different countries. Based on this interest, various rheumatological institutes, centers and societies are being created, the numberwhich grows every day.
Classification of bone joints
Bone joints are an integral part of the musculoskeletal system, holding bones close to each other and allowing them to move with different movements.
There are three large groups of bone joints:
- syndesmoses - continuous connections;
- symphyses - semi-joints;
- joints - diarthrosis, or discontinuous synovial connections.
Continuous connections
Connective tissue located between bones forms continuous bone connections. Types of continuous bone connections include cartilaginous, fibrous and bone connections.
Syndesmoses, sutures and dento-alveolar joints, or "prickings" are among the fibrous connections. Sutures - connections between the bones of the skull from a thin layer of connective tissue. Depending on the shape of the edges of the bone, three types of sutures are classified:
- Flat. Harmonious seams that unite the bones of the skull with smooth edges.
- Scaly. The most striking example is the connection of the parietal and temporal bones.
- Toothed. They are distinguished by the jagged edges of the bones and are located between the bones of the cerebral part of the skull.
Seams - areas of bone growth and shock absorption during shocks and shocks caused by jumping and walking. Most of the seams after 40-50 years of a person's life are synostotic, that is, they begin to overgrow. Their premature overgrowth can lead to asymmetry and deformation of the skull.
Syndesmoses
Syndesmoses, according to the definitions of arthrology, are bone connections through interosseous membranes and ligaments. Nearby bones are connected to each other by bundles of fibrous connective tissue - ligaments. Their main task is to strengthen the joints, guide and limit the movement of bones.
Most of the ligaments are made of collagen fibers, but the arcs of adjacent vertebrae are connected by yellow ligaments of elastic fibers. Interosseous membranes or membranes are stretched between the diaphragms of the dentate bones. Their main purpose is to hold long tubular bones next to each other and fasten muscles to them.
Synovial connections
Joints in general arthrology are discontinuous bone connections. Their structure is represented by articular surfaces covered with cartilage, the articular capsule and the articular cavity, which contains synovial fluid. Some joints include articular discs, lips, or menisci, which are additional structures responsible for flexion and extension of bones.
Biomechanics of joints
The shape and size of the articular surfaces and their correspondence to each other - congruence - determine the range of motion in the joints. Age and gender characteristics, the tension of the ligaments and the joint capsule, which strengthen the joint, determine the amount of joint mobility.
Pathologies of joints
Most diseases in arthrology are alwaysaccompanied by inflammatory processes of varying degrees and are called arthritis. They are divided into several groups:
- autoimmune;
- infectious;
- dystrophic;
- metabolic.
The clinical picture also depends on defects in the development of the joints and the presence of tumors in them. For example, synovioma - a tumor that develops in the tendon sheaths and synovial membranes of the joints, can be malignant and benign.
Despite the significant role of arthrology in medical practice, modern medicine does not have sufficient knowledge and correct statistics of joint pathologies. For this reason, there is no generally accepted nomenclature and classification of joint pathologies, methods for effective and timely diagnosis of diseases. In different countries, epidemiological studies in the field of arthrology have not been conducted according to a single agreed system, taking into account social, climatic, genetic and professional factors.
Illness statistics
According to official WHO data, in Western Europe the percentage of patients suffering from pathologies in the field of arthrology is 1.1-1.6%. According to other available statistics, higher incidence rates were recorded in the USA, England - 5% and 4%, respectively. According to 1959 data, more than 4 percent of the world's population suffer from various rheumatic pathologies, the first place among which is given to rheumatic arthritis.
Wide prevalence of joint diseases limitingprofessional ability to work is determined by the fact that arthrology is one of the most important areas of modern medicine. Its competent research, the formation of unified statistics and databases will allow in the future not only to diagnose most of the pathologies in a timely manner, but also to develop the most effective methods of treatment.
