7 results
Causes of Knee Effusions - Differential Diagnosis Framework

Knee Effusion Red Flags:
1. Fever/Chills/Joint pain/Night sweats/Weight loss
	- DDX:
		-
- Differential ... Fever/Chills/Joint ... Seronegative Reactive Syndrome ... Ligamentous injuries - Meniscal ... diagnosis #msk #physicalexam
Approach to Joint Pain

History:
Is the pain from:
	• Joint
	• Adjacent bursa
	• Tendon
	• Ligament
	• Bone
	• Muscle
	• Referred from
present both at rest ... trauma (e.g., meniscal ... e.g., congenital hip ... osteopetrosis, avascular ... approach #workup #differential
Distinguishing between Inflammatory and Degenerative joint disease
Inflammatory Joint Disease
 • Swelling stimulates joint nociceptors -> Pain
in Rheumatoid arthritis ... , Lupus, etc) -> ... commonly affects the knee ... hip and L/C-spine ... > Stiffness is short-lived
SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)

Suspect:
Clinical evidence of (fatigue, rash, photosensitivity, inflammatory arthritis, weight loss, and fever) and
, inflammatory arthritis ... permanent alopecia Differential ... Joint pain • Swan ... arthropathy • 90% joints ... • Malar rash - spares
Vasculitis and Vasculitides - Differential Diagnosis Framework

When to Consider Vasculitis:
 • Purpura, ischemic skin lesions
 •
inflammation Others: • Lupus ... eruption - Joints ... such as systemic lupus ... retinopathy Lab Tests ... Cryoglobulins • HIV
Posterior Knee Dislocation Injury
Specifically, POSTERIOR KNEE DISLOCATIONS can have significant associated injury that needs unique approach
nerve injury (25%) TEST ... Check hip and ankle ... joints for associated ... Compartment syndrome ... special ligament/meniscus
Autoimmune Myositis - Differential Diagnosis Framework

Inflammatory Myopathies: Commonly symmetric proximal muscle weakness, no substantial muscle pain
Autoimmune Myositis - Differential ... Diagnostic Tests ... : Fever, joint pain ... weakness + atrophy- Hip ... • Nonerosive arthritis