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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.

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In this Article

• What is plant thorn arthritis?
• What plants cause plant thorn arthritis?
• What joints are typically involved in plant thorn arthritis?
• What are plant thorn arthritis symptoms and signs?
• How is plant thorn arthritis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for plant thorn arthritis?
• What is the outlook (prognosis) of plant thorn arthritis?
• Plant Thorn Arthritis At A Glance
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Plant Thorn Synovitis Index

Once a synovectomy for plant thorn arthritis has been performed, the joint tends to heal well without residual problems. The sooner the synovectomy is performed, the better the outcome as chronic joint inflammation can risk damage to cartilage of the joint. Physical therapy rehabilitation exercises can be helpful to restore normal joint function.

• Plant thorn arthritis is a noninfectious inflammation of a joint as a result of a thorn puncturing the joint and leaving residual plant matter lodged within the joint.
• Plant thorn arthritis typically affects only a single joint -- the joint that was pierced by the plant thorn.
• Plant thorn arthritis causes the involved joint to be swollen, slightly reddish, stiff, and painful. The joint loses its full range of motion and is often tender.
• The symptoms of plant thorn arthritis may occur long after the thorn is removed from the affected joint.
• The diagnosis of plant thorn arthritis requires either detection of a piece of thorn within the joint by radiology testing or surgical removal of the thorn fragments and identification of the fragments microscopically in the laboratory.
• Synovectomy is the surgical procedure that is used to cure plant thorn arthritis.

REFERENCES:

Stevens, K.J., et. al. "Imaging of Plant-Thorn Synovitis." Skeletal Radiol 29 (2000): 605-608.

Sugarman, M., D.G. Stobie, F.P. Quismorio, R. Terry, and V. Hanson. "Plant Thorn Synovitis." Arthritis Rheum 20.5 June 1977: 1125-1128.