Intra-articular gout calcifications or other inflammatory rheumatoid like conditions: All joints have a thin layer of cartilage that cover the ends of the two bones that form the joint. This thin layer covers the bone ends like cake fondant. The cartilage looks like the white meat inside a coconut, and has the same texture. Its surface is extremely smooth though (similar to ice), but it is very brittle in substance.
The cartilage becomes injured quiet easily with a hard knock on the knee or shoulder, for instance. The cartilage then develops small little cracks in it. It can even be so damaged that whole flakes of cartilage can come loose from the underlying bone. These bits and pieces will then get caught between the two cartilage surfaces as the joint moves, as causes even more damage.
When an individual sustains a fracture that involves the joint, the cartilage is also invariably involved. If there is a gap between the two ends of the fracture of more than 2mm, the orthopaedic surgeon would choose to operate the fracture, rather than putting it in a cast. If there is a gap in the joint, the joint won’t have a smooth surface anymore. This will give way to cracks and flakes forming inside the joint leading to osteo-arthosis.
In some families, the quality of the cartilage of the joints that is formed is not of good quality. This is hereditary. Individuals like these will be prone to develop osteo-arthrosis of their joints from the middle years.
Damage to the cartilage of a joint due to an inflammatory arthropathy is usually not referred to as osteo-arthrosis. This is a different set of diseases that damage the cartilage by a different mechanism.
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