This course covers practical non-neoplastic orthopaedic pathology. Surgical specimens from patients suffering from garden variety orthopaedic disorders represent some of those most commonly encountered by surgical pathologists, yet are frequently the least understood. The course begins by building a foundation of knowledge based on the normal physiology and histology of bone and joints, which helps provide a framework for the subsequent discussion of the morphology of arthritis, important conditions of the synovium, common crystal deposition diseases, meniscal problems and some congenital abnormalities. Entities such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, crystalline diseases (gout, CPPD), Gaucher's disease, joint mice, synovial chondromatosis, torn and degenerated menisci, pathology of prosthetic joints and pigmented villonodular synovitis, will be discussed.

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to identify basic fundamentals of bone growth and recognize key histologic features needed for diagnosis; define basic mechanisms regarding bone and joint pathology which are unique; and recognize pathophysiology of non-tumorous conditions of bone and joints.

This course is designed for residents, fellows and surgical pathologists. The format will vary, but will include case discussion leading to didactic presentation for different pathologic conditions. A limited supply of glass slides will be available for advance mailing and a syllabus will be distributed at the course. A CD-ROM of representative materials will be mailed to registrants after the meeting.