Joint appendages – the structures which have historically been overlooked in arthritis research and therapy development

Rheumatologists have largely conceptualised joint disease in inflammatory and degenerative arthritis in terms of bone, cartilage and the synovial lining, but have tended to overlook other integral components of the joints which are attached close to joint margins. We discuss these structures under the umbrella term of ‘appendages’. These structures include ligaments, tendons, entheses or joint insertions, regional fibrocartilages, bursae and other peri-articular joint structures including fat pads and nails. In this review, we highlight how these structures play key pathophysiological roles in inflammatory arthritis and we emphasise how an understanding of these structures is collectively important for both clinical practice and future rheumatological research.

Keywords: Tendons, Ligaments, Synovial bursa, Psoriatic arthritis