Objective: to provide the clinical characteristics of joint injury in patients with calcium pyrophosphate crystal (CPC) deposition disease.Subjects and methods. The trial enrolled 68 patients (43 women, 25 men) with a verified diagnosis of CPC deposition disease. Their mean age was 60.2±11.8 years and disease duration was 7.5±6.4 years. Examination revealed the presence of arthritis and arthralgias. Polarizing microscopy with an Olympus CX31-P compensator was used to detectcrystals in synovial fluid. X-ray study of the knee joints was performed in the anteroposterior and lateral projections and that of the hand joints was in the frontal projection, Ultrasonography (USG) of the knee and wrist joints was done using a GE Voluson-I transducer.Results. A concurrence of arthritis and arthralgias was noted in 37 (54%) patients; 24 (36%) patients had arthralgias only; 7 (10%) had arthritis only. Arthritis affecting the knee, wrist, ankle, and first metacarpophalangeal joints was observed in 53, 15, 12, and 6% of cases, respectively. There was acute arthritis in 18% of the patients and chronic arthritis in 39%; the rate of CPC osteoarthrosis was 43%. Joint USG diagnosed knee and wrist joint chondrocalcinosis in 94 and 56% of the patients, respectively. USG could reveal asymptomatic wrist joint chondrocalcinosis significantly more often (in 56 and 17% of the patients, respectively; p = 0.008). Besides, USG could visualize synovitis in the knee joints in 88% of the patients with isolated arthralgias in them and synovitis in the wrinkle joints in 52% of the patients without clinical signs of inflammation in them.Conclusion. Osteoarthrosis is the most common form of CPC deposition disease. Knee joints in this disease are most frequently involved. Joint USG is of more informative value in detecting chondrocalcinosis than X-ray study; USG can also identify synovitis in the intact joints.

Parathyroid diseases cause serious musculoskeletal problems. The major function of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is to regulate calcium levels in the body, which is closely related to vitamin D. PTH exerts a double (anabolic and catabolic) effect on the human skeleton, which accounts for its heterogeneous action on the bone and for the major clinical manifestations of diseases associated with its hyper- and hypoproduction. The paper considers the main causes of hypoparathyroidism (HPT) that is considered to mean inadequate PHT activity and/or secretion; moreover, the level of ionized calcium falls below the reference range. It describes two HPT cases that show the clinical picture resembling ankylosing spondylitis.

The paper describes the major clinical manifestations of osteonecrosis (ON), considers methods for its radiodiagnosis, and characterizes changes depending on the stage of ON. Different classifications of this process are presented.

The paper presents the results of a trial of the efficacy and safety of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug amelotex® (meloxicam) in patients with gonarthrosis. One-month meloxicam therapy is shown to have a good analgesic effect and tolerability and to improve quality of life in the patients.

The paper describes the basic principles of diagnosis of microcrystalline arthritis by polarization microscopy. Emphasis is laid on the importance of determination of the crystals of sodium monourate and calcium pyrophosphate for the diagnosis of microcrystalline arthritis and on the techniques of polarization microscopy and puncture of joints.

The paper presents data on the prospects for clinical use of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Amelotex® (meloxicam) in patients with osteoarthrosis. It also gives the results of a study showing a good efficacy and tolerability of Amelotex® in patients with gonarthrosis.

The paper presents the results of a study of the efficiency and safety of using the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Amelotex® (international nonproprietary name meloxicam) in patients with osteoarthrosis. A short course of therapy with the drug is demonstrated to have a good analgesic effect, to be well tolerated, and to result in better quality of life in patients with gonarthrosis.