Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
This is what my MRI (without contrast) report says...what do you guys think?
Both knees: mild generalized articulate cartilage degeneration in all 3 compartments. Patchy subchondral edema in both femoral chondyles. These areas might represent small bone infarcts. Reactive or degenerative changes might also produce this appearance.
Left: small joint effusion, there is trace Bakers cyst fluid
Thanks for the input!
Both knees: mild generalized articulate cartilage degeneration in all 3 compartments. Patchy subchondral edema in both femoral chondyles. These areas might represent small bone infarcts. Reactive or degenerative changes might also produce this appearance.
Left: small joint effusion, there is trace Bakers cyst fluid
Thanks for the input!
I thought when I looked at the MRI that it might be OA?? Even tho I def have to have RA as well... Does anyone else have experience with how to interpret these findings? I thought the cartilage degeneration meant OA but I'm so new to all of this and I haven't heard from my dr yet.
All of you who suggested bakers cyst you were very good! I so very much appreciate all of you for being here when there really is no one else who understands. Hugs to all!
Your MRI isn't that bad. No bone cysts, no tears of the meniscii, no chondromalacia. The part about it being possibly reactive or degenerative simply means it could be the degeneration of age and activity(I hurt my knees badly at 14) or the start of something that might be inflammatory and affect more of your body. The comment about the Bakers cyst fluid is about a bursa that becomes a "garbage can" for the knee.....the fluid flows into the bursa and takes the tiny bits of cartilage that are flaking off your knee joint surfaces. No biggy...happens to just about everyone as they age.
I was bone to bone in my left knee at age 24 and was told it would never grow back...wrong! I did a lot of PT and learned how to protect my knee yet still walked daily and 10 years later, all the joint surfaces were completely covered with articular cartilage. You can re-grow the articular cartilage(the stuff that covers the ends of the bones as opposed to the cartilage disks the cushion the joint...the meniscii.
So don't sweat it. Find a really good knee specialist who can work with your rheumy. I needed total knee replacement at age 24 and managed to keep going until your age....47. then I had both replaced at the same time and I LOVE my knees. Been fine for the past 17 years.....18 in Feb. I hold TKR birthday parties every year. They are 10-15 year knees and pretty good after 18 years so I keep my fingers crossed!
I'd strongly suggest some good PT and looking for a place that has a therapeutic pool...a licensed one for aqua therapy. They have to be between 3-4 feet deep and at least 92* F. It allows you to walk and exercise and strengthen the muscles without harming the joints and without causing additional swelling or muscle spasms due to the warm water. Learn how to take care of them carefully and you'll be walking around for a long time.
hugs..............Jen