X-rays in chondrolysis

If we look back at the March 23 post, we see the joint space was lost and bone responded to osteoarthritis by building up new bone (osteophytes), this is can be called a hypertrophic response. By contrast in conditions such as chondrolysis the joint space is lost but the bone does not respond, this can be called an atrophic response.

The image above is the AP X-ray of a recent patient who developed post arthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis. In contrast to the X-rays of a patient with degenerative joint disease shown in the March 23 post, there are minimal bone spurs and the density of the bone is reduced. The two white arrows are suture anchors used in the arthroscopic procedure.

The image above is the Axillary X-ray of the same patient showing again the atrophic response of the bone to chondrolysis. Additional examples can be see here.

A recent post on the causation of chondrolysis can be found here

The lack of a hypertrophic response in chondrolysis may be one of the reasons that total shoulder arthroplasty may be the preferred joint replacement in this condition as opposed to procedures that do not replace both the ball and socket aspects of the joint.

--

Use the "Search the Blog" box to the right to find other topics of interest to you.

You may be interested in some of our most visited web pages including: shoulder arthritis, total shoulder, ream and run, reverse total shoulder, CTA arthroplasty, and rotator cuff surgery.

See the countries from which our readers come on this post.