[Orthopedic rheumatology].

Rheumatic diseases with their progressive inflammatory systematic nature are important diseases any clinical practising orthopaedic doctor is frequently confronted with. In case of mono- or polyarticular joint swelling, stiffness or inflammatory arthralgia, rheumatoid arthritis has to be deliberated particularly in differential diagnostic considerations. When diagnosed early, a joint treatment by an internal specialist as well as the initiation of a basic medicamentous therapy are highly recommended. Therefore, corticosteroids and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate can be used, in case of failure a treatment with biologicals should follow. The operative therapy depends on the stadium of joint destruction. In early stadiums (LDE 0-3) and in case of therapy resistant inflammation a synovectomy should be performed as a preventive intervention. Given an already advanced destruction, alloarthroplasty or arthrodesis are indicated as reconstructive procedures. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.