Which joint is typically involved in OA and spared in RA?

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Multiple Choice

Which joint is typically involved in OA and spared in RA?

Explanation:
Understanding how OA and RA affect joints helps explain this. Osteoarthritis tends to involve the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands because these joints endure a lot of wear; you often see degenerative changes and, in advanced disease, Heberden’s nodes at the DIP joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, by contrast, targets synovial joints in a symmetric pattern—most commonly the MCP and PIP joints—while sparing the distal interphalangeal joints. So the distal interphalangeal joints are the classic site affected by OA and typically spared in RA.

Understanding how OA and RA affect joints helps explain this. Osteoarthritis tends to involve the distal interphalangeal joints of the hands because these joints endure a lot of wear; you often see degenerative changes and, in advanced disease, Heberden’s nodes at the DIP joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, by contrast, targets synovial joints in a symmetric pattern—most commonly the MCP and PIP joints—while sparing the distal interphalangeal joints. So the distal interphalangeal joints are the classic site affected by OA and typically spared in RA.

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