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Osteoarthritis - Making a diagnosis
What are the criteria for a working diagnosis?
- A working diagnosis of osteoarthritis can be made without radiological or laboratory investigations:
- If the person is 45 years of age or more and symptoms and signs clearly suggest osteoarthritis:
- Affected joints are painful when used — the person may also have pain at rest, crepitus, or a limited range of movement.
- Affected joints become stiff after resting.
- There are no obvious signs of inflammation, such as severe and prolonged morning stiffness, a large effusion, or a hot joint.
- If other conditions have been excluded — see Differential diagnosis.
[Dieppe, Personal Communication, 2008; National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions, 2008; Zhang et al, 2010]
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