Arthritis means loss of the surface cartilage of the end of a bone that makes up a joint. The shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and ankle are potential sites for arthritis. Arthritis can lead to joint inflammation, swelling, stiffness, tenderness, redness, or warmth.
One type of inflammatory arthritis is known as
rheumatoid arthritis. Degenerative joint disease that is non-inflammatory is known as osteoarthritis and is the most common type of arthritis. It usually affects weight-bearing joints such as the hip and knee. In general, the shoulder, elbow and ankle are much less affected by arthritis then the hip and knee.

Nearly 70 million Americans, or 1 in every 3 persons, have arthritis. It affects people of all ages, but it most often occurs as a person gets older. Obesity appears to strongly affect females more than males in weight-bearing joints (hip and knee). Arthritis negatively impacts an individual's overall well being. It bears a physical, psychological, social and economic toll on a person. The physical effects include pain, stiffness and loss of joint mobility. Psychological effects, such as depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, and reduced self-esteem can result in social isolation. Embarrassment and discomfort in public due to physical changes can reduce community involvement. Economic effects include cost of treatment or loss of income due to disability. Early medical treatment and physical and vocational rehabilitation can help prevent many of the physical, psychological, social and economic effects of arthritis.

		Degeneration of the ball and socket joint of the shoulder, caused by aging, wear and tear or disease (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis), or injury (post-traumatic arthritis) results in pain, stiffness and loss of mobility. The shoulder joint becomes stiff, feels heavy and fatigues easily when arthritis is present. In general, shoulder arthritis is much less common then arthritis of the hip or knee. Conservative non-surgical
treatment is usually considered first and can be quire effective. This includes physical therapy for range of motion, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid injections, or viscosupplementation. Surgical intervention can vary from outpatient arthroscopy to variations of total shoulder arthroplasty.

Arthritis of the elbow is quite rare. It can be associated with inflammation of the elbow joint (rheumatoid arthritis) or degeneration of the joint (osteoarthritis). Symptoms include warmth, swelling, pain, tenderness and decreased range of motion. Arthritis of the elbow is associated with destruction of cartilage on the ends of the bones that normally enables them to move smoothly in the joint. Non-surgical options include activity modification, physical therapy exercise, anti-inflammatory medication and/ or corticosteroid injection. Surgical options include arthroscopy, synovectomy (removal of inflammatory tissue), osteotomy (bone realignment) or variations of joint replacement.

		Knee arthritis constitutes the wearing out of the cartilage that lines the ends of the tibia and femur bones within the knee joint. Wear can be incomplete, in which case the cartilage is still present but thin and irregular. The wear can be complete, in which case the cartilage has disappeared, resulting in "bone on bone" causing painful movement. The most common and most disabling cause of knee arthritis is osteoarthritis or "wear and tear" of the joint. Other causes include rheumatoid arthritis
or joint trauma. The most common symptoms are pain, swelling, stiffness, catching, instability and deformity. The main focus of treatment is to alleviate pain and improve function. The initial treatment is non-operative, which includes weight loss, anti-inflammatory medications, steroids or synthetic joint fluid injections and physical therapy. Surgical options include knee arthroscopy or partial or total joint replacement. Most total joint replacement can no be performed through a minimally invasive (small) incision.

The ankle joint is made up of the two bones of the lower leg and a bone in the foot called the talus. It is called the tibiotalar joint and arthritis in this joint is quite rare. However, arthritis can destroy the normal function of the ankle joint. The most common type, (osteoarthritis), results from "wear and tear" damage to joint cartilage that comes with age. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition caused by an irritation of the joint lining (synovium). A traumatic injury such as a broken bone, torn ligament, or ankle sprain can result in arthritis of the joint. Common symptoms of ankle arthritis include pain or tenderness, inflammation or redness, stiffness or reduced motion and swelling. Treatment of ankle arthritis addresses both pain and joint deformity. Depending on the type and severity of ankle arthritis, there are various types of treatment available. Nonsurgical treatment options