Osteophytes are exostoses (bony projections) that form along

joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

margins. They should not be confused with

enthesophyte Enthesophytes are abnormal bony projections at the attachment of a tendon or ligament. They are not to be confused with osteophytes, which are abnormal bony projections in joint spaces. Enthesophytes and osteophytes are bone responses for stress. ...

s, which are bony projections that form at the attachment of a tendon or ligament. Osteophytes are not always distinguished from exostoses in any definite way, although in many cases there are a number of differences. Osteophytes are typically intra-articular (within the

joint capsule In anatomy, a joint capsule or articular capsule is an envelope surrounding a synovial joint.

Cause

Lateral X-ray of lumbar spine spondylosis

A range of bone-formation processes are associated with aging, degeneration, mechanical instability, and disease (such as diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis). Osteophyte formation has classically been related to sequential and consequential changes in such processes. Often osteophytes form in osteoarthritic joints as a result of damage and wear from inflammation. Calcification and new bone formation can also occur in response to mechanical damage in joints.

Pathophysiology

Osteophytes form because of the increase in a damaged joint's surface area. This is most common from the onset of

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

. Osteophytes usually limit joint movement and typically cause pain.Bone spurs
MayoClinic.com Osteophytes form naturally on the back of the spine as a person ages and are a

clinical sign Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showin ...

of degeneration in the spine. In this case, the osteophytes are commonly not the source of

back pain Back pain is pain felt in the back. It may be classified as neck pain (cervical), middle back pain (thoracic), lower back pain (lumbar) or coccydynia (tailbone or sacral pain) based on the segment affected. The lumbar area is the most common area ...

s, but instead are a sign of an underlying problem. However, osteophytes on the spine can impinge on

nerves A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the e ...

that leave the spine for other parts of the body. This impingement can cause

pain Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...

in both upper and lower limbs and a

numbness Hypoesthesia or numbness is a common side effect of various medical conditions that manifests as a reduced sense of touch or sensation, or a partial loss of sensitivity to sensory stimuli. In everyday speech this is generally referred to as num ...

tingling Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation of the skin (tingling, pricking, chilling, burning, numbness) with no apparent physical cause. Paresthesia may be transient or chronic, and may have any of dozens of possible underlying causes. Paresthesias ar ...

sensations in the

hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

and

feet The foot ( : feet) is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made ...

because the

are supplying sensation to their dermatomes. Osteophytes on the fingers or toes are known as

Heberden's nodes Heberden's nodes are hard or bony swellings that can develop in the distal interphalangeal joints (DIP) (the joints closest to the end of the fingers and toes). They are a sign of osteoarthritis and are caused by formation of osteophytes (calcific ...

(if on the

distal interphalangeal joint Distal interphalangeal joints are the articulations between the phalanges of the hand or foot. This term therefore includes: * Interphalangeal joints of the hand * Interphalangeal joints of the foot The interphalangeal joints of the foot are bet ...

) or

Bouchard's nodes Bouchard's nodes are hard, bony outgrowths or gelatinous cysts on the proximal interphalangeal joints (the middle joints of fingers or toes). They are seen in osteoarthritis, where they are caused by formation of calcific spurs of the articular ( ...

(if on the

proximal interphalangeal joint The interphalangeal joints of the hand are the hinge joints between the phalanges of the fingers that provide flexion towards the palm of the hand. There are two sets in each finger (except in the thumb, which has only one joint): * "proximal in ...

s).

Treatments

Normally, asymptomatic cases are not treated.

Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a Indication (medicine), therapeutic drug class which Analgesic, reduces pain, Anti-inflammatory, decreases inflammation, Antipyretic, decreases fever, and Antithrombotic, prevents blo ...

s and surgery are two typical options for cases requiring treatment.

References

External links

{{Medical resources , DiseasesDB = 18621 , ICD10 = {{ICD10, M, 25, 7, m, 20 , ICD9 = {{ICD9, 726.91 , ICDO = , OMIM = , MedlinePlus = , eMedicineSubj = , eMedicineTopic = , MeshID = D054850
Mayo Clinic website
concise information on bone spurs Arthropathies