[Early diagnosis of osteo-arthrosis of the hips and knees]

The early diagnosis of osteo-arthritis of the hip and knee rests on the following findings: mechanical pain in the joint and/or intra-articular effusion of the mechanical type (i.e. less than 1000 cells/mm3, with less than fifty per cent polymorphonuclears); or narrowing (no matter how small) of the articular space; or normal radiography with stage two osteo-arthritic lesions in an otherwise normal arthroscopy; or normal X-ray films and normal bone scintigraphy in a subject over 50 years of age.