Psoriatic arthritis and arthroplasty: a review of the literature

Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthropathy as- sociated with the characteristic dermatologic lesions of psoriasis. The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis is quite difficult, due to the overlap of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with concomitant non-associated psoriasis. A nonspecific elevation in inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, ESR; antinuclear antibodies, ANA; or rheumatoid factor, RF) and characteristic radiographic features are often present in these patients. The mainstay of treatment is medical management, using NSAIDs, various immunosuppressants, and anti-TNF agents, for both pain control and possibly as disease modifying agents. Only a minority of patients require surgical intervention, leading to the limited amount of literature concerning total joint arthroplasty and psoriatic arthritis. While past literature has yielded high infection rates post-arthroplasty, newer studies have found more promising results. Alternative surgical options for treating destructive arthritis include open or arthroscopic synovectomy. While early results are promising, recurrence rates and long-term outcomes are not yet available.