Knee articulation arthrosis: causes, symptoms and treatment

A healthy person realizes the ability to walk and run as natural and simple.But those who have found diseases of the musculoskeletal system know how many difficulties the temporary or constant restriction of mobility carries.Meanwhile, each second person over 50 suffers from joint inflammation, and knee joint arthrosis is one of the main causes of disability in women and men.

The causes of knee articulation arthrosis

Despite the widespread prevalence of arthrosis, there is still confusion with the name of this disease.It is officially called "deformed osteoarthritis".But even from the doctors' lips, you can hear the word "arthritis" - there is no significant mistake here, although this term is more often used in relation to rheumatoid arthritis: another disease that has a different origin and symptoms from osteoarthritis.

Deformed osteoarthritis is a progressive cartilage injury that covers the articulation surface, which leads to a violation of their work and pain.

This is an extremely common pathology, which is more common in advanced women who suffer from overweight.However, sometimes deformed osteoarthritis is also observed in men of young sports: the impetus for the development of the disease is sports trauma caused by excessive loads in the gym.

In addition, gonarthrosis occurs for the following reasons:

• leg fractures and knee joint displacements;
• Menisc injections;
• Inflammatory joint diseases (rheumatism, gout, Bekhterev disease, etc.);
• metabolic violation;
• Congenital weakness of the ligament apparatus (joint hypermobility);
• Hereditary predisposition to knee articulation arthrosis.

Honarthrosis can develop in any of us - experts observe that this is a (paradoxically) consequence an increase in the average life expectancy of the population: our joints fail before we feel elderly and refuse activities.

Knee joint arthrosis symptoms

Arthrosis never occurs suddenly.The first symptom that occurs long before the acceleum of the disease is a slight knee pain when walking, intensifying during the lifting and descent the stairs.Unpleasant sensations, as a rule, appear at the beginning of the movement, disappear after a short walk and, after a long load in the joint, return again.

Over time, if arthrosis is not treated, symptoms are aggravated - the pain becomes continuous, knee joint movements are increasingly limited and the knee increases in size.Doctors advise not to visit the hospital when the first unpleasant sensations appear.This will pass without prolonged and expensive treatment: with the development of the disease, getting rid of it is becoming increasingly difficult.

Gonartarosis

There are three degrees of knee articulation arthrosis:

• 1 degree of gonarthrosis is a gap from the first symptoms of the disease to the appearance of bone deformations, which are noticeable during examination or in X -rays.In this case, the knee may change its form in the first months of arthrosis, but due to the accumulation of fluid in the joint (this phenomenon is called synovitis).1 degree of gonarthrosis is mainly characterized by the pain of different intensity that occurs during movement.
• 2 The degree of knee articulation arthrosis is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the smallest load, a knee crisis when walking and squatting and a decrease in joint mobility.In X -ray, bone tissue growth along the edges of the joint joint and narrowing of the joint gap are visible.Externally, the knee with 2 degrees of gonarthrosis also seems deformed and increased in size.
• With 3 degrees of gonartrosis of the cartilage tissue, they hardly remain inside the joint and, in the severe form of osteoarthritis, bones grow together, which leads to the complete immobility of the sick leg.It is difficult for a person with such a disease to assume a position in which pain disappears - a dream is disturbed and becomes impossible to move without a cry or grass.

Only a doctor is able to establish the degree of arthrosis of the knee joint after studying the radiography: there are cases where the light -characteristic light symptoms are accompanied by the destruction of the intraarticular cartilage.

Treatment of knee articulation arthrosis

If the diagnosis has detected gonarthrosis, it is necessary to address the next treatment responsibly.Do not expect the nearest pharmacy compresses or ointments to solve the problem - this disease requires an integrated approach and compliance with the recommendations of an expert.

There is no and there should be a single "scenario" of the treatment of knee articulation - orthopedist is required to consider the patient's complaints, pay attention to concomitant pathology and take into account the arsenal of physiotherapeutic techniques that are available at the medical institution.The best option is the treatment of gonarthrosis in a specialized orthopedic clinic.

Drug treatment (drugs for the treatment of knee joint arthrosis)

Medicines are important in treating gonarthrosis, especially in situations where you urgently relieve symptoms of acute pain and reduce inflammation.For this purpose, doctors prescribe non -steroid anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): diclofenac, indomethacin, nimesulide and others.To combat a severe inflammatory process, steroids are prescribed and to improve the condition of cartilage tissue - joint medications and vasodilators.All of these medications are prescribed in both tablets and creams, ointments, injection solutions (with any degree of gravity of knee joint arthrosis).

A special mention is deserved by the plasmolife method - the introduction of the patient's blood plasma enriched with plasma in the knee joint affected by arthrosis.This technique is successfully used in sports medicine, where special attention is given to the rapid restoration of the musculoskeletal system.

It has long been considered one of the main popular remedies of arthrosis: it was used for infusions (for example, of Linden Flowers) and wrapping and massage.It's hard to say how honey helps eliminate the causes of the disease, but this tool will definitely not damage - even doctors say.

Surgical treatment

Objects of varying degrees of invasiveness are designed not only to relieve symptoms of the disease, but also to eliminate their causes.

• Puncture.To get rid of excess fluid in the joint cavity, surgeons resort to puncture - this minimally invasive intervention reduces inflammation and restores knee mobility.
• Arthroscopy.If arthrosis requires a surgical operation (usually 2 degrees of gravity), it can be performed endoscopically - this technique does not require dissection of the joint cavity and all manipulations are performed by thin flexible tools under the control of micro - xamers control.Arthroscopy involves purification of joint surfaces from destroyed cartilage fragments.
• Osteotomy near the joints is a more traumatic intervention.During the operation, one bone forming the knee joint is cut and then fixed again, but at a different angle.This approach allows to redistribute knee load, which reduces pain syndrome and increases knee mobility.Osteotomy is usually used for 1 and 2 degrees of knee joint osteoarthritis.
• Endoprophy implies the replacement of knee joint with a biological project, providing the previous volume of movements.This complex surgical intervention requires prolonged rehabilitation, so, as a rule, patients with 3 degrees of gonarthrosis are decided on it.

Non -surgical methods to treat deformed osteoarthritis

But still, any operation is a serious body test;Therefore, people suffering from knee joint arthrosis prefer conservative treatment.Practice shows that physiotherapeutic and others, as well as a change in lifestyle, lead to a tangible improvement, with the minimization of the use of pharmaceutical products.

Physiotherapy

• Shockwave therapy (UVT) has been used in clinics for 20 years.During the procedure, the doctor works in the affected area with a device that generates radial acoustic waves (2000-4000 pulses per procedure).The therapeutic effect is achieved due to the activation of blood supply in the joint and stimulation of bone and cartilage restoration processes.
• Miostimulation implies the effect of muscles surrounding the articulation with impulses of the weak current, because the mobility in the painful leg increases, the pain decreases and resistance increases to physical activity.
• Phonophoresis - A combination of ultrasonic therapy and the effects of medicines, which is very effective for gonarthrosis.It is known that, usually, only 5 to 7% of the drug in the form of ointment, gel or cream is absorbed by the skin.With this procedure, high frequency vibrations warm the tissues of the knee joint and improve the absorption of the medicine, which makes it possible to save on expensive medicines while achieving a good result.
• Ozonotherapy.The effect of active oxygen on tissue has an anti -inflammatory and analgesic effect, through which, with knee joint arthrosis, you may refuse to take hormonal medications or reduce your dosage.

Cinerape

• Medical Physical Education (Exercise Therapy), according to doctors, allows a responsible and worker patient with arthrosis to "escape" the operation.Daily exercises according to a special technique gently strengthens the leg muscles, which in some cases returns the pathological process, returning the patient to previous mobility.The main success factor is a competent sequence of exercise an experienced exercise instructor informs.
• Massage (including lymphatic drainage) and Manual Therapy - Passive Effect Methods on Patient Muscles, Joints and Ligaments.They are suitable for sedentary patients and are perfectly combined with therapy with exercise, physiotherapy and drug treatment to deform osteoarthritis.
• Menotherapy involves the use of special devices that increase the effect of exercise and massage therapy - vibrational simulators, weighting and mechanical massagers.
• Articular traffic is a mechanical increase in the space of its cavity, because the pain leaves and the destruction of the joint decreases.The application of the course of this technique allows for several years to advert the progression of knee articulation arthrosis.

Therapy diet

Consultation with a nutritionist and subsequent treatment of overweight and obesity is an effective addition to the main methods of combating arthrosis of any location.Weight loss relieves joint load and facilitates exercise therapy in fat people.Often the radical treatment of obesity - bariatric surgery - allows you to make a diagnosis in people suffering from arthrosis for many years.

Orthopedic doctors recommend thinking about knee health even before you have pain in this area.Recommendations are simple: to monitor weight, carefully choose right shoes, rationally address physical training, engage in swimming (it removes the load of all joints at the same time), avoid legothermia from the legs and abandon smoke.