[Orthopedic treatment of the shoulder joint impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Brachial joint affection in patients, suffering rheumatoid arthritis, occupies a third place after such of the elbow and the hand. Due to significant reduction of a freedom degree, caused by inflammation, the upper extremity looses function of active instrument for the items transposition. Volume of surgical treatment of such patients depends on stage of the process.

[The ultrasonography of the capsular ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis].

With the purpose of finding out informative value of the ultrasound investigation designed to study the capsular and ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint in its instability during the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis and correlating clinical symptoms with ultrasonographic findings an examination was done of twenty joints of patients in early stages of rheumatoid arthritis presenting with clinical signs of anterior-medial instability. Sonography confirmed the presence of instability and permitted the qualitative assessment of its degree to be done. The method allows us to disclose relative incompetence of the anterior-medial sector of the knee joint in those patients presenting with early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, which is one of causes of instability, with the cruciate and lateral ligaments remaining uninjured.

[The medical rehabilitation characteristics of patients after therapeutic prophylactic operations in the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis].

Overall 119 treatment and prophylactic operations were performed on those patients in early phases of rheumatoid arthritis who derived no benefit from a combined conservative treatment. With preliminary medial instability of the joint in 19 patients the surgical intervention involved some elements making for reinforcement of the capsular ligamentous apparatus. Good results of the above operations occurred in 78% of cases.