Psoriatic Arthritis

Author: DAVID P JOHNSON MB ChB FRCS FRCS. MD
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Summary
This booklet aims to answer questions commonly asked by people who have psoriatic arthritis. Each section deals with a different question.

What is psoriatic arthritis?
Psoriatic arthritis causes inflammation in and around the joints, usually in people who already have the skin condition psoriasis. Sometimes, however, the arthritis develops before the psoriasis.

There are 78 major joints in the body and psoriatic arthritis can affect any one of these. Sometimes it affects just one or two joints such as a knee or ankle, but often several joints, both large and small and on both sides of the body, are involved. About a third of people with psoriatic arthritis also have a painful, stiff back or neck caused by inflammation in the spine. This is called spondylitis.
Psoriatic arthritis usually affects adults but occasionally children can develop the disease.
Link – http://www.arc.org.uk/arthinfo/patpubs/6029/6029.asp
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