Disappearing Acts: The Many Causes of Rapidly Destructive Arthritis

Most of the destructive joint disease necessitating arthoplasty is the result of an insidious and protracted process that occurs over the course of many years. However, there are a variety of diseases that may result in a rapid progressive deterioration of a joint. We describe both the common and less common etiologies of rapidly destructive arthropathy that one should consider, with imaging examples, and present discriminative factors when present.