M05.03: Felty syndrome Forearm

You have a rheumatic disorder that is causing inflammation in your wrist joint.

The wrist joins the hand to the forearm. There are 2 bones in the forearm. These bones are called the ulna and the radius. As well as the actual wrist there is also a joint between the ends of the ulna and the radius.

An inflammation in the joints can cause various symptoms. Typical is a swollen, painful joint. The skin above the joint may also be red. It may also no longer be possible to move the joint as usual.

The joint inflammation has been caused by a rheumatic disease. A rheumatic disease can affect the entire body. There may be inflammation in the bones, the connective tissue, and the joints. The symptoms can be more and less severe. It is thought that rheumatic diseases are caused by a person’s immune system producing antibodies against their own body. These antibodies attack the body’s own tissue. The tissue can get inflamed and damaged as a result.

There are various kinds of defense cells (immune cells) in the blood. As a result of the rheumatic disease you have fewer of one particular type of defense cell in your blood. As a result, you may more easily get infected by pathogens.