Issue 3, 2008

Detection of calcium phosphate crystals in the joint fluid of patients with osteoarthritis – analytical approaches and challenges

Abstract

Clinically, osteoarthritis (OA) is characterised by joint pain, stiffness after immobility, limitation of movement and, in many cases, the presence of basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals in the joint fluid. The detection of BCP crystals in the synovial fluid of patients with OA is fraught with challenges due to the submicroscopic size of BCP, the complex nature of the matrix in which they are found and the fact that other crystals can co-exist with them in cases of mixed pathology. Routine analysis of joint crystals still relies almost exclusively on the use of optical microscopy, which has limited applicability for BCP crystal identification due to limited resolution and the inherent subjectivity of the technique. The purpose of this Critical Review is to present an overview of some of the main analytical tools employed in the detection of BCP to date and the potential of emerging technologies such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman microspectroscopy for this purpose.

Graphical abstract: Detection of calcium phosphate crystals in the joint fluid of patients with osteoarthritis – analytical approaches and challenges

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
First published
01 Feb 2008
This article is Open Access

Analyst, 2008,133, 302-318

Detection of calcium phosphate crystals in the joint fluid of patients with osteoarthritis – analytical approaches and challenges

A. Yavorskyy, A. Hernandez-Santana, G. McCarthy and G. McMahon, Analyst, 2008, 133, 302 DOI: 10.1039/B716791A

This is an Open Access article. The full version of this article can be posted on a website/blog, posted on an intranet, photocopied, emailed, distributed in a course pack or distributed in Continuing Medical Education (CME) materials provided that it is not used for commercial purposes.

To request permission to reproduce material from this article in a commercial publication, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party commercial publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements