Final answer:
Deformity is not a classic clinical sign of an inflamed joint; the main signs are redness, swelling, heat, and pain, sometimes accompanied by loss of function. Deformity usually stems from chronic damage or disease rather than acute inflammation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Clinical signs of an inflamed joint typically include swelling, redness, increased heat, and often pain or loss of function. However, the option that is not a conventional sign of joint inflammation is deformity. This condition is more typically associated with chronic conditions or damage rather than the acute process of inflammation.
The four cardinal signs of inflammation, as first noted by Cornelius Celsus, are redness, swelling, heat, and pain. A fifth sign, loss of function, may also be present. These signs occur as a result of the body's protective response to injury or infection, which includes increased blood flow and immune activity at the site of the affected tissue. Although fever can be a systemic sign of inflammation, it is not localized to the joint.