Orthopaedics: Differential Diagnosis of Joint Pain

 Differential Diagnosis of Joint Pain

 

Extrinsic

·                 neurologic (nerve root compression, herpes zoster, etc.)

·                 generalized (fibromyalgia, po1ymya1gia rheumatica, sickle cell (ischemic), dermato/polymyositis)

·                 referred pain

·                 pain originating from surrounding organs

 

Intrinsic

 • articular

 -  arthritis (degenerative, rheumatoid. crystal-induced, septic, avascular necrosis)

 -  neoplastic

 -  traumatic (fracture, soft tissue damage, neuropathic arthropathy)

 • non-articular

 -  bursa. tendons, ligaments. muscle (bursitis, tendonitis, myositis)