What are the causes of hemophilic arthritis?

The typical bleeding symptom of hemophilia is joint hemorrhage, which occurs in two-thirds of hemophilia patients. Joint bleeding most commonly affects the knee, often following trauma, walking, or physical activity. Other frequently affected joints, in descending order, include the elbow, ankle, and shoulder. Initially, patients may experience discomfort and pain in the joint, followed by limited range of motion, swelling, increasing pain, and eventually severely restricted movement. Prolonged presence of blood in the joint that fails to be absorbed stimulates the synovium, leading to synovitis, persistent joint swelling, and functional impairment. This results in chronic arthritis, known as hemophilic arthropathy.