Arthritic elbow. Coloured X-ray of a bent elbow joint showing damage caused by neuropathic arthritis. In a healthy elbow, the edges of the bone would be smooth and well defined. Instead, they are inflamed and malformed. This condition (also known as Charcot's disease/joint or neurogenic arthropathy) is a chronic progressive degeneration of stress-bearing joints. Because the disease is neurological in origin, the joint loses the position sense that tells it where it is, and also the protective pain sensation. Treatment of neuropathic arthritis is by pain- relieving drugs and surgery.