Arthrology is a medical science that studies joints and their diseases. The section covers the 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, prevention and treatment methods.
Arthrology is considered by scientists 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 joints that has occurred over the past decades has made it possible to increase the number of arthrological studies and separate arthrology from anatomy into a separate section of internal diseases.
The tasks of arthrology
The most important tasks of modern arthrology are:
- Identification of pathogenetic and etiological factors of most arthritis and chron, the etiology of which has not been established, which complicates the process of developing methods for their diagnosis and treatment, as well as improving the existing classification of joint pathologies. The nosological affiliation of a number of joint diseases has not yet been determined, among which are psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and others.
- Clarification of information on the pathogenetic significance and sequence of initial changes in synovia, articular cartilage, bone departments 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.
- The formation of modern ideas about the impact on the pathogenesis of collagen diseases, disorders of protein-enzyme metabolism and immunogenesis.
- The development of an effective and differentiated treatment of various forms of joint pathologies, since modern therapy of arthritis has low efficiency and is empirical.
- The study of joint diseases from the point of view of pathologies of the body as a whole, rather than local pathological processes.
- Creating preventive measures aimed at preventing chronic forms of joint diseases.
- The formation of the arthrological health 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 number of which is growing every day.
Classification of bone compounds
Bone joints are an integral part of the musculoskeletal system, holding the bones next to each other and ensuring their mobility with different movements.
Three large groups of bone compounds are distinguished:
- syndesmosis - continuous connections;
- symphyses - half-joints;
- joints - diarthrosis, or discontinuous synovial joints.
Continuous connections
Connective tissue located between the bones forms continuous bone joints. The types of continuous bone joints include cartilage, fibrous and bone joints.
Among the fibrotic compounds are syndesmosis, sutures, and dentoalveolar joints, or “pumping”. Seams - joints between the bones of the skull from a thin layer of connective tissue. Three types of sutures are classified according to the shape of the edges of the bone:
- Flat. Harmonious seams that combine the bones of the skull with smooth edges.
- Scaly. The most striking example is the connection of the parietal and temporal bones.
- Toothed. They differ in the incised edges of the bones and are located between the bones of the medulla of the skull.
Sutures are areas of bone growth and depreciation during tremors and tremors caused by jumping and walking. Most seams after 40-50 years of human life are synostosed, that is, they begin to overgrow. Their premature overgrowing can lead to asymmetry and deformation of the skull.
Syndesmosis
Syndesmoses, according to the definitions of arthrology, are bone compounds through interosseous membranes and ligaments. Nearby located bones are combined with each other through bundles of fibrous connective tissue - ligaments. Their main task is to strengthen the joints, direct and limit the movements of the bones.
Most of the ligaments are made of collagen fibers, but the arches of adjacent vertebrae are connected by yellow ligaments of elastic fibers. Between the diaphragms of the dentate bones, interosseous membranes or membranes are stretched. Their main purpose is to hold long tubular bones next to each other and to fix muscles on them.
Synovial connections
Joints in general arthrology are discontinuous bone joints. Their structure is represented by articular surfaces covered with cartilage, articular capsule and articular cavity, which contains synovial fluid. Some joints include articular discs, lips, or menisci - additional formations responsible for flexion and extension of bones.
Joint Biomechanics
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, tension of the ligaments and joint capsule, strengthening the joint, determine the value of joint mobility.
Joint pathology
Most diseases in arthrology are always accompanied 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 joints and the presence of tumors in them. For example, a synovioma - a tumor that develops in the sheaths of the tendons and synovial membranes of the joints, can be malignant and benign.
Despite the considerable 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, no epidemiological studies in the field of arthrology were conducted according to a single coordinated system taking into account social, climatic, genetic and occupational factors.
Incidence 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 are recorded in the USA, England - 5% and 4%, respectively. According to 1959, more than 4 percent of the world's population suffers from various rheumatic pathologies, the first place being given to rheumatoid arthritis.
The widespread spread of joint diseases limiting professional 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 a 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 treatment methods.