Orthopaedic pathology is still an enigma to most pathologists. Medical school education usually deals very superficially with the pathophysiology of the subject. Most resident programs do not have adequate numbers of orthopaedic neoplasms and since imaging studies and collaborative data from other specialties such as orthopaedics, radiology, rheumatology, and endocrinology are not obtained. The practicing surgical pathologist is often ill-prepared and lacks the skills and insight to interpret accurately orthopaedic pathology. Furthermore, many orthopaedic entities are relatively rare and lastly skeletal anatomy terms and definitions are not very familiar to most pathologists.

Therefore, the purpose of this course is to improve the pathologist's skills in interpreting orthopaedic pathophysiology such as the nuances of the different types of arthritis. This course would help explain the morphologic changes associated with prostheses and associated complications. This course would also increase the pathologist's ability to accurately diagnose primary bone tumors. Lastly, this course would help clarify problems associated with joint tumors and their mimics.

The course would combine case presentations with formal introductory remarks for each topic. Such topics would include growth and development of the skeletal system and normal anatomy, orthopaedic specimen preparation, differential diagnosis of arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and its variants, and crystal diseases, joint replacement and prosthesis pathology. Synovial lesions such as chondromatosis, giant cell tumor, loose bodies, hemosiderosis and others would also be discussed. Regarding the differential of "common" bone tumors and tumor-like conditions the course would include an approach to such entities and include more detailed discussion of cartilage (osteochonroma, enchondroma, chondrosarcoma and variants), osseous (osteoid-osteoma, osteosarcoma and variants), small cell lesions, including infection (Ewings sarcoma, lymphoma and Langerhans histiocytosis) and stress fractures.

At the conclusion of this course attendees will be able to: 1) Understand and recognize different kinds of arthritis; 2) Interpret pathology of prostheses; 3) Increase their ability to diagnose bone tumors; and 4) Clarify problems associated with synovial tumors and their imitators.

We anticipate that this course would benefit general pathologist, pathologists with special expertise in the subject, pathology residents, orthopaedists, and radiologists and their residents as well. We would provide in advance of the course CD-ROM and virtual slides for previewing.

(New Course) This course may be used for CME credits or SAM's credits.