Description

Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. In the shoulder, it can occur at the glenohumeral (ball and socket), acromioclavicular (AC), or sternoclavicular joint (SC). Over time, the loss of the smooth covering on the ends of bones (aka - articular cartilage) causes pain and stiffness. This can lead to pain with motion or at rest, clicking or grinding and a loss of strength. When the cartilage is damaged or decreased, the bones rub together during joint motion, resulting in “bone-on-bone” arthritis. When arthritis becomes severe, inflammation occurs around the joint and extra bone is formed in an attempt to protect the joint, resulting in limited motion and strength.

What are the causes?

The primary cause of arthritis is osteoarthritis (aka – “wear and tear” arthritis). Trauma and other illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, septic arthritis and psoriasis can result in degeneration of a joint, leading to symptoms of pain and lack of motion.

What are the symptoms?

Patients suffering from AC joint arthritis will often notice a bump on top of the joint. This bump also extends downward on the inside of the shoulder and pushes into the top of the rotator cuff. For this reason, AC joint arthritis will often lead to rotator cuff symptoms, such as pain on the side of the shoulder, night pain and difficulty lifting objects overhead.


How is it diagnosed?

Arthritis is diagnosed by your physician based on physical exam and X-rays. Your orthopedic surgeon will examine your shoulder, noting range of motion, strength and pain with motion. Your surgeon may order additional diagnostic tests to evaluate all shoulder structures (CT/”CAT” scan) to evaluate the bones and joints or MRI to evaluate the muscles, tendons and ligaments.