Arthritis Glossary
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Acetaminophen
- An over-the-counter drug that relieves pain and reduces fever; brand name Tylenol®.
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Arthritis
- A joint disease that can cause joint pain, swelling, stiffness and/or redness of the skin over the joint.
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Cartilage
- A type of connective tissue found in many parts of the skeleton; a type called "articular" cartilage is very slippery and covers the ends of bones in joints.
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COX-2 inhibitor
- A newer subclass of NSAID medication that directly targets COX-2, an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain; available by prescription only; for example, celecoxib (Celebrex®).
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NSAID
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, a class of medication that reduces inflammation and pain; includes aspirin, ibuprofen (for example, Motrin® and Advil®) and naproxen (for example, Aleve®).
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Osteoarthritis
- A joint disease characterized by a breakdown of the joint’s cartilage and normal synovial fluid; symptoms include pain and stiffness.
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Steroid
- A class of drugs resembling normal body substances that can help control inflammation in body tissues.
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Synovial fluid
- The hyaluronan-containing fluid found in the joint that nourishes cartilage and lubricates and cushions the joint.
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SYNVISC (hylan G-F 20)
- A treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee consisting of a thick, elastic fluid made from hylans. SYNVISC is similar to fluid found in a normal, healthy knee. It is injected into the knee to replace damaged synovial fluid, reduce pain and improve function.
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Viscosupplement
- A substance that mimics the synovial fluid found in healthy joints and is injected into knees with osteoarthritis to reduce pain and improve function as well.
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Viscosupplementation
- An injection that replaces diseased synovial (joint) fluid in osteoarthritic knees in order to reduce pain and improve function as well.
Brand References
Tylenol is a registered trademark of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc.
Celebrex is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc.
Motrin is a registered trademark of McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc.
Advil is a registered trademark of Wyeth Consumer Healthcare.
Aleve is a registered trademark of Bayer Consumer Care, LLC.
