DO I NEED JOINT FLUID TESTING?

In many cases of arthritis, there is joint swelling.  The fluid that accumulates in a swollen joint can provide clues to the type of arthritis that is involved.  The joint fluid can be taken out of the joint in a procedure called aspiration.   The procedure takes less than 5 minutes.  The skin overlying the joint is cleaned with a sterile scrub.  A needle attached to a syringe is then placed through the skin and guided into the joint.  Fluid is then drawn from the joint into the syringe, and then sent to the lab for analysis.   The lab will check the fluid for the number and type of cells, crystals.

In most cases, osteoarthritis is the cause of arthritis related joint pain, and joint fluid testing may not be needed.    However, if other forms of arthritis are suspected, then fluid analysis could provide clues in pinpointing the diagnosis.  Joint fluid analysis is especially important for infectious arthritis because the organism can be identified so that the correct antibiotic can be used to cure the infection.  In cases where osteoarthritis is diagnosed but a patient does not get better with usual treatments, fluid analysis can help doctors figure out if a second type of arthritis is involved.