Complications of cervical arthritis.

Cervical arthritis can result in clinically important complications through a variety of mechanisms. The potentially most serious complication is spinal cord or nerve root compression, caused by either degenerative osteophytes or one or more of several subluxation patterns prevalent in inflammatory joint diseases. Disabling pain arising directly from the affected joints is more difficult to document but probably occurs often in the upper cervical spine, particularly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Limitation of head and neck mobility, with or without pain, commonly develops in inflammatory arthropathies, especially ankylosing spondylitis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In the absence of neurologic signs or symptoms, most cases of symptomatic cervical arthritis should be diagnosed and treated conservatively.