Clinical Examination in Rheumatology

A concise, practical guide to the full examination of patients with joint and periarticular disease. Rheumatological problems are very common in clinical practice and require all doctors to have a basic level of rheumatological examination expertise. History and physical examination alone provide most of the information required for the diagnosis and management of patients with rheumatological problems; clinical examination skills are therefore of paramount importance. This book fills the need for clear, comprehensive guidance on how to perform regional examination. Emphasizing clinical skills throughout, it is in keeping with current approaches in medical education for medical students and trainee rheumatologists. A brief clarification of joint structure and classification is followed by consideration of general aspects of the history and examination. The first chapter describes the preliminary rheumatological screening test designed to detect and localize problems. Subsequent chapters describe in greater detail basic anatomy, pain patterns and methods of clinical examination to enable determination of articular and periarticular problems in individual regions. Incorporating supporting illustrations throughout, the book aims to enable readers to apply basic anatomy in order to recognize common and important causes of regional locomotor pain.