Hemarthrosis (or haemarthrosis, plural h(a)emarthroses) is a bleeding into joint spaces.
Causes
It usually follows injury but occurs mainly in patients with a predisposition to hemorrhage such as those being treated with warfarin (or other anticoagulants) and patients suffering from hemophilia.
In hemophilia it may occur spontaneously, and recurrent hemarthroses are a major cause of disability in that patient group due to hemophilic arthropathy, requiring synovectomy, joint replacement[2] and increased medical therapy to prevent further bleeding episodes, although it is controversial whether clotting factor administration adequately prevents hemarthroses.[3]
^ Dunn AL. Management and prevention of recurrent hemarthrosis in patients with hemophilia. Curr Opin Hematol 2005;12:390-4. PMID 16093785.
^ Stobart K, Iorio A, Wu JK. Clotting factor concentrates given to prevent bleeding and bleeding-related complications in people with hemophilia A or B. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006;(2):CD003429. PMID 16625581.
