A patient states, "I can hear a crunching or grating sound when I kneel." She also states that "it is very difficult to get out of bed in the morning because of stiffness and pain in my joints." The nurse should assess for signs of what problem?

Question

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Crepitation is an audible and palpable crunching or grating that accompanies movement and occurs when articular surfaces in the joints are roughened, as with rheumatoid arthritis. A bone spur is a bony projection (osteophyte) that develops along a bone edge, usually where bones meet at a joint. They often do not cause pain, but when they do, it is usually pain with movement in the specific joint with the bone spur. Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon and produces a swelling and tenderness to that one spot in the joint and affects only certain planes of ROM, especially during active ROM. Excess fluid in the knee can cause swelling and difficulty moving the knee, but usually does not cause pain, although the disease process causing the fluid (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis) may cause pain. The symptoms this patient is experiencing (audible and palpable crunching when kneeling indicates crepitation. Crepitation is an audible and palpable crunching or grating that accompanies movement and occurs when articular surfaces in the joints are roughened, as with rheumatoid arthritis.

A Patient States, "I Can Hear a Crunching or Grating