Glossary of Arthritis

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Glossary for Arthritis - 7

Purine: A product of nucleic acid metabolism that is the precursor of uric acid. Therefore, gout patients should limit foods containing purines, such as sweetbreads, liver, kidney, and brains.

Quadriceps: Large muscles along the front of the thighs.

Red Blood Cells: Cells that transport oxygen to the tissues and remove carbon dioxide.

Reiter’s Syndrome: In 1916 Hans Reiter described the triad of arthritis, urethritis and conjunctivitis which came to be known by his name. Reiter’s syndrome is now classified as a form of reactive arthritis. The joints most frequently affected are in succession, the knee ankle, hip and small joints of the hands and feet. These become swollen and painful. Involvement of the skin is common in the form of rupture with a thick horny crust. This is most marked on the soles of the feet.

Rheumatic Fever: A form of arthritis that very occasionally occurs after sore throat. Rheumatic fever is characterized by high fever and inflammation of connective tissues, mainly in the heart and joints.

Rheumatism: A broad term used to describe inflammation, stiffness, and tenderness of the muscle or joints.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: A chronic disease of unknown cause, that generally occurs throughout the whole body. It causes pain and inflammation of the joints, limits their range of motion, and in some patients slowly destroys them. While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, it can be treated and controlled.

Rheumatoid Factor: An antibody found in rheumatoid arthritics’ blood that causes clumping of cells in the agglutination test for rheumatoid arthritis.

Rotation: The movement of a joint in a circular motion.

Sacroiliac Joint: A joint that connects the hipbones and the lower part of the spine.

Salicylates: A family of drugs used in arthritis for their powerful anti-inflammatory effects and their ability to reduce pain. Aspirin is the most common of salicylates.

Scleroderma: A disease of the body’s connective tissues. Usually, there is a thickening and hardening of the skin and sometimes inflammatory and other changes in internal organs, such as the esophagus, intestinal tract, heart, lungs, and kidneys.

Scoliosis: A sideways deviation in a normally vertically straight spine.

Spondylitis: Arthritis of the spine.