31st January 2024

Signs and Symptoms

Patients usually present with sudden onset pain. The associated signs on examination include erythema, swelling, tenderness and warmth of the affected joint. Generally, the patient would be otherwise systemically well. The pain is severe and often affects activities of daily living- this can be demonstrated by asking the patient to perform certain tasks (please see the examination section below). The acute joint pain can be associated with mild fever and rise in inflammatory markers, so it is essential to rule out septic arthritis; in septic arthritis, the patient would be acutely unwell.