Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease)
- Diagnosis
If a patient exhibits symptoms of Osteoarthritis, the doctor can confirm the diagnosis by doing a physical examination and X-rays. The degenerative effects of Osteoarthritis on the bones of the joint will show up
clearly on the X-ray.
Sometimes, the patient may need to undergo additional tests:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): may be used to get a better picture of the condition of the joint
- Joint aspiration: may be carried out to obtain a sample of the fluid in the joint
- Arthroscopy: a procedure in which the interior of the joint is visualised by using a special instrument