26th January 2024

Background

OA is a clinical diagnosis; however in the presence of atypical features, further investigations are required to distinguish between other rheumatological conditions which can present similarly. It is vital to exclude the other conditions discussed below, as they have different pathological processes and subsequent management pathways. However, it is worth being aware that there can often be overlap between the features of different conditions and that they can co-exist in the same patient.