antimalarials: drugs normally used to treat malaria but sometimes effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; the most commonly used antimalarial is hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Plaquenil)
arthroplasty: implantation of a mechanical joint to replace a diseased or damaged joint; also called total joint replacement surgery arthroscopy: a diagnostic and surgical technique that uses a thin tube with a light and tiny video camera at one end to view the inside of a joint autoimmune disorder: a disorder that results when the body's tissues are attacked by its own immune system; rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are examples of autimmune disorders bisphosphonate: one of a class of drugs used to maintain or improve bone density Bouchard nodes: knobby overgrowths of the middle joint of the fingers in people with osteoarthritis bursa (plural, bursae): a small fluid-filled sac between a tendon and a bone that protects muscles and tendons from coming into direct contact with bones bursitis: inflammation of a bursa, especially that of the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee or foot cartilage: the connective tissue (containing water, chondrocytes, collagen and proteoglycans) that covers the ends of bones and acts as the body's shock absorber by cushioning the bones from weight-bearing stress chondrocyte: a cartilage cell collagen: the major protein of connective tissue, cartilage and bone coronary heart disease: a narrowing of the coronary arteries that results in inadequate blood flow to the heart corticosteroids: potent drugs used to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders; also called steroids cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors: anti-inflammatory drugs that work by blocking the COX-2 enzyme, which plays a role in inflammation, but not the COX-1 enzyme, which helps protect the digestive tract cytoprotective drugs: medications that decrease the acid content of the stomach, reducing the risk of developing an ulcer when taking NSAIDs disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs): anti-inflammatory drugs that not only help relieve the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis but also slow the progression of the disease; once considered a treatment of last resort, they are now prescribed earlier in the disease disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs): a class of medications that prevent joint damage in patients with osteoarthritis by inhibiting the release of enzymes that break down cartilage fibromyalgia syndrome: a rheumatic disorder characterized by body aches, pain, stiffness, sleep disturbances and fatigue, as well as tenderness in specific sites on the body, that occurs predominately in women gout: a disease characterized by increased blood levels of uric acid that produces pain and inflammation in the joints, particularly in the foot, ankle or knee Heberden nodes: knobby overgrowths of the joint nearest the fingertips in patients with osteoarthritis hyperuricemia: excess uric acid in the blood immunosuppressant: a medication that suppresses the body's immune response joint capsule: a sac-like envelope that encloses a joint, consisting of an inner synovial membrane and an outer fibrous membrane ligament: a band of fibrous tissue that connects two bones nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): medications that relieve joint pain and stiffness by reducing inflammation; examples of NSAIDs are aspirin and ibuprofen osteoarthritis (OA): a type of arthritis characterized by pain and stiffness in the joints, such as those in the hands, hips, knees, spine or feet, due to breakdown of cartilage pannus: a thickening of the synovial membrane that occurs as rheumatoid arthritis progresses, resulting from an overgrowth of synovial cells and an accumulation of white blood cells podagra: severe pain in the big toe caused by gout primary osteoarthritis: the gradual breakdown of cartilage that occurs with age and is due to stress on a joint proteoglycans: components of cartilage that help absorb the shock of body movements and provide the joints with strength and elasticity purine: a substance that can be converted to uric acid in the body rheumatoid arthritis (RA): a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by pain, stiffness, inflammation, swelling and sometimes destruction of joints secondary osteoarthritis: osteoarthritis that results from trauma to the joint or from chronic joint injury due to another type of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs (SAARDs): see disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) synovectomy: removal of the synovial membrane of a joint synovial fluid: a lubricating fluid secreted by the synovial membrane synovial membrane: connective tissue that lines the cavity of a joint and produces synovial fluid systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): an inflammatory disease of connective tissue occurring primarily in women and characterized especially by skin rash, arthritis and inflammation of different organs tidal irrigation: a treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee in which a saline solution is repeatedly injected, then withdrawn from the joint space to remove debris from the joint and help break up
the synovial membrane that has adhered to itself tophi: deposits of uric acid crystals in the skin or around joints trigger point: a specific spot on the body that will elicit pain if touched in people with fibromyalgia tumor necrosis factor: a protein that plays an early and major role in the rheumatic disease process viscosupplementation: a treatment option for people with osteoarthritis of the knee that involves the injection of hyaluronan, a natural component of synovial fluid, directly into the knee joint Last Updated: 5/13/2003
The Johns Hopkins University 1996-2003. All rights reserved. This information is not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor is it intended to be a substitute for consultation. | 
