association between osteoarthritis of the knee joint and chronic venous insufficiency of the legs

The possible association between osteoarthritis of the knee joint and chronic venous insufficiency of the legs needs to be investigated because some risk factors are common to both. To evaluate the association between knee osteoarthritis and chronic venous insufficiency of the legs. Case controlled prospective randomized study, non-blind. Setting: Outpatient clinic, Ibn Sinna Teaching Hospital, Iraq. Thirty patients with knee osteoarthritis and thirty control cases with no knee symptoms were evaluated clinically for chronic venous insufficiency. Knee osteoarthritis was significantly associated with leg edema [P value 0.002], varicose veins [P value 0.011] and abnormal leg veins [whether varicose veins alone or spider veins or both], [P values 0.02]. The presence of chronic venous insufficiency may contribute to the severity of osteoarthritis. An association does exist between knee osteoarthritis and chronic venous insufficiency of the legs. Further studies are needed to investigate the association including the possibility of pathogenic contribution

Periarthropathies: clinical spectrum and patterns

The aim of this study is to review the spectrum of primary periarthropathies. Rheumatology clinic, Ibn Sina teaching hospital, Mosul, Iraq. Prospective non-experimental clinical study. Two hundred patients having primary periarthropathy were included in the study. Secondary cases of periarthropathy were excluded. Patients with multiple periarthropathy were recorded. Two hundred patients were studied, 114 were females and 33 were males who had one type of periarthropathy; the remaining had combinations of periarthropathies. The mean age for periarthropathy was more than 40, except for tendinitis [36.8 +/- 10.5]. The most common periarthropathies is the shoulder 93 [46.5%], followed by Carpal tunnel syndrome 57 [28.5%] and planter fasciitis 34 [17%], history was significantly high in these three conditions. Various combinations of periarthropathies were seen in the study group. Shoulder periarthropathies and CTS were the most common, 46.5% and 28.5% respectively. The concept of oligoarthropathy and possibly poly-periarthropathy needs further research. Constitutional factors, for example, gender and pro-inflammatory mechanisms need further studies