Joint pain can have many causes. In many cases there is an orthopedic problem. Sometimes, however, joint pain arises spontaneously and it is only after many examinations and treatments that the patient has a rheumatic disease. This can lead to treacherous pitfalls for the orthopedically oriented (para)medician and it is not uncommon for the correct diagnosis to be discovered too late. It is therefore important as a (para)medician to have some knowledge of rheumatic disorders so that if suspected, the patient can be quickly referred to the rheumatologist. In this issue of 'Orthopaedic Case Studies', relatively common joint disorders with a rheumatic cause are treated.

Areas covered include juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis, bacterial arthritis, Lyme disease, spondylodiscitis, polymyalgia rheumatica, gout, chondrocalcinosis, primary osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.

As usual in the  Orthopedic Casuistics book series  , each topic is discussed on the basis of patient cases from daily practice. The text is richly illustrated with educational drawings and photos.

The book is particularly intended for physiotherapists, physiotherapists, doctors and orthopaedists.