Arthritis Australia and run community seminars. Arthritis is an umbrella term for more than 100 medical conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system, specifically joints where two or more bones meet. The three most significant – osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout – account for more than 95 per cent of cases in Australia. The most common forms of arthritis are: Arthritis-related problems include pain, stiffness, inflammation and damage to joint cartilage (the tissue that covers the ends of bones, enabling them to move against each another) and surrounding structures. This can result in joint weakness, instability and deformities that can interfere with the
Neonatal-onset multisystem inflammatory disease involve the skin, joints, and central nervous system. All have a maculopapular urticarial skin rash that is often present at birth (75% cases). It is probably more correctly described as an urticarial-like rash. The presence of the rash varies with time, and biopsy of these skin lesions shows a perivascular inflammatory infiltrate including granulocytes. In about 35-65% of cases, arthritis occurs. Joint signs are variably expressed and can lead to transient swelling without sequelae between crises, or to unpredictable anomalies of growth cartilage and long bones epiphyses suggestive of a pseudo-tumour. Biopsies reveal hypertrophic cartilage without inflammatory cells. This most