Pathogenesis of hemophilic arthropathy.

Intra-articular bleeding is the most common clinical manifestation of hemophilia, and can adversely affect joints and lead to arthropathy. Affected joints are associated with changes to the synovium, bone, cartilage and blood vessels. Iron plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of this condition, and may exert its effects through a variety of different mechanisms. Hemophilic arthropathy shares some injury characteristics with rheumatoid arthritis, although the degree of analogy is a matter of some debate. The influences of the mechanisms underlying joint inflammation are better understood for rheumatoid arthritis than for hemophilia, and it is hoped that this knowledge can be used to provide a more comprehensive knowledge of the pathological process of hemophilic arthropathy. This, in turn, may enable novel targets for therapeutic intervention to be identified.