What to Expect During the Exam

Generally, it is not difficult to tell if a person has osteoarthritis. The signs and symptoms that you describe and your test results will enable your doctor to make a diagnosis. Be aware that no single test can diagnose osteoarthritis.

It is more difficult to determine if the disease is actually the cause of the symptoms. The doctor will try to rule out other disorders, such as joint infection, fracture, injury, gout, bursitis, and other conditions, that may cause the same symptoms as osteoarthritis or make these symptoms worse.

Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

Your Medical History

Most likely, your doctor will begin by asking you to describe the pain, stiffness, and joint function (including when and how these symptoms started) and to explain how your symptoms have changed over time. It also is important for the doctor to know how your symptoms are affecting your work and daily life, what other medical conditions you have, and whether you are taking any medications or nutritional supplements.

Physical Examination

Your doctor will check your general health, including reflexes and muscle strength and your ability to walk, bend, and carry out daily activities. When examining your joints, your doctor can feel the bony swelling and hear the creaking of the joint. Your doctor will look for tenderness, any thinning of muscles, excess fluid, or instability in the joints. You will be asked to move your limbs as far as you can, to see if your joints restrict movements. Your doctor also will move your limbs to check for any restricted movement.

X-Rays

X rays may be used to confirm that the joint problems are caused by osteoarthritis and not some other form of arthritis. In affected joints, x rays will show how much joint and bone damage has been done. For example, the spaces between the bones affected by osteoarthritis may be narrower than in normal joints because of thinning of the cartilage and extra bone growth such as bone spurs.

There may be a big difference between the severity of osteoarthritis that the x rays show and the degree of pain and disability that you experience. X rays help the doctor make a diagnosis but do not indicate how much the osteoarthritis will bother you. Also, x rays may not show early osteoarthritis damage.

Laboratory Tests

There is no blood test for osteoarthritis. However, blood tests are sometimes done to make sure that your symptoms are not caused by another type of arthritis.

Tests of Joint Fluid

In some cases, the doctor may draw fluid from inside the affected joint, for example, to check for particles that may cause pain.