The classic joints that become inflamed in Reiter's syndrome are the knees, ankles, feet, and wrists. The particular joints involved are usually asymmetric, that is, one side of the body or the other is affected, rather than both sides simultaneously. The inflammation leads to stiffness, pain, swelling, warmth, and redness of the joints involved. This is also seen in patients with another type of arthritis associated with psoriasis, called psoriatic arthritis. Cartilage can also become inflamed, especially around the breastbone where the ribs meet in the front of the chest, this condition is called costochondritis.
Muscles attach to the bones by tendons.
When the whites of the eye are inflamed causing conjunctivitis, there may be no pain. Urinary tract inflammation commonly involves the urethra, the tube that drains urine from the bladder. The skin around the penis can become inflamed and scale. The bladder and prostate gland can also become inflamed, leading to an urge to urinate. These may go unnoticed by the patient, as they are often painless.