title: Musculoskeletal Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis.
abstract: Systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by microvascular obliteration and sclerosis of the skin and internal organs. Although the clinical hallmark of the disease is the appearance of taut tethering of the skin, one of the earliest manifestations of SSc is a painful symmetrical arthropathy ranging from minimal arthralgia to overt polyarthritis. Musculoskeletal (MSK) involvement in SSc occurs more frequently than expected. Arthralgia is the most commonly reported manifestation. Some of the existing composite and organ-specific indices of disease activity and/or disease severity in SSc include MSK manifestations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St Vincent's Hospital, 41 Victoria Parade, Level 3 Daly Wing, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathleen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Morrisroe
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St Vincent's Hospital, 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia; Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia. Electronic address: m.nikpour@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikpour
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia; Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
authors.forename: Susanna M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Proudman
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*; D013710:Tendons
keywords: Arthralgia; Arthritis; Musculoskeletal manifestations; Rehabilitation; Scleroderma; Systemic sclerosis; Treatment