inflammation perspectives

This post is in response to Gary who has emailed questions on his wife's xray findings.
I have not had the opportunity to see the films, but Gary, a layman, describes the pictures as having "poofey joints and bones appearing much older than her 40 years."
Here is my roundabout sight unseen answer to Gary.
First let's get clear on arthritis. "-itis" indicates inflammation whether it be tonsilitis, appendicitis, or cellulitis. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said inflammation has
four characteristics: rubor, calor, tumor, and dolor, that is redness, heat, swelling and
tenderness. When you describe the joints as poofey I picture swelling. You have told me she had xrays because of pain which fulfills the "dolor" characteristic. Consistent with swelling would be spurring, osteophytes and other degenerative changes. A current descriptor of the condition being considered would be "degenerative joint disease."
Just as teeth and eyes show signs of wear our bones develop degenerative changes with age.
Once again without the benefit of seeing xrays my guess is that your wif'e's pictures show degenerative changes which is why someone may have described their appearance as "old bones."