ABSTRACT
The term “arthritis” (from Greek: arthro-, joint, and -itis, in°ammation) was rst introduced by Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC to ca. 370 BC) who saw the condition primarily as a metabolic disease, although its main manifestations are in the joints and articular structures. We now know that arthritis may affect any of the structures inside a joint, such as the synovium, bones, cartilage, or supporting tissues. As any in°ammatory condition, arthritis gives rise to the ve cardinal signs of in°ammation as identied by Celsus (30 BC to AD 32) and R.L.K. Virchow (1821-1902): pain (dolor), heat (calor), redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), and, if left untreated, loss of function (functio laesa) [1].
