ABSTRACT
Arthritis in the Older Person (by Linda Yue, MD, Kevin Yip, MD and Joseph A. Markenson, MD) The noted rheumatologist Joseph A. Markenson MD, Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, Professor of Clinical Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, along with Drs Linda Yue and Kevin Yip, have written a comprehensive chapter on arthritis, and how it specifically impacts the older person. The various forms of arthritis that afflict older persons, and the management of those conditions, are discussed. This highly researched chapter has concluding take home points. There are two major forms of arthritis, degenerative (or mechanical) and inflammatory. Although both can result in joint pain, damage and signs of local inflammation, the underlying mechanism leading to the manifestations is different. The management of both degenerative and inflammatory arthritis should consist of a multidisciplinary approach. Treatment should involve a combination of pharmacologic therapy, physical and/or occupational therapy, and rheumatology or orthopedic specialty co-management.
