If you can maintain a tension in the lower back, you have managed the most important thing. The form is very similar to squatting. The only major differences are variations in the actual lift. I am not an expert though. From my experience, I would say that the crucial part of deadlifting is when your legs form 135 degrees. This is where most people fail to maintain a tension and the back starts to crook as far as I have seen.

To answer your question, can joints become inflamed? Yes! But I don´t know if this can happen due to hard exercise.