Arthrosis of the knee joint: causes, symptoms and treatment

A healthy person perceives the ability to walk and run as something natural and simple.But those who have occurred diseases of the musculoskeletal system know how many difficulties the temporary or constant restriction of mobility bears.In the meantime, every second person over 50 years suffers from joint inflammation, and osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the main causes of disabilities in women and men.

The causes of osteoarthritis of the knee joint

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

Deforming osteoarthritis is a progressive lesion of the cartilage that lines the surface of the joint, which leads to a violation of its work and pain.

This is an extremely frequent pathology that suffered overweight more often in women of advanced age.Sometimes, however, deforming osteoarthritis is also observed among young sports men: the impetus for the development of the disease is a sports trauma, which is caused by excess loads in the gym.

In addition, gonarthrosis occurs for the following reasons:

• Fractures of the legs and transfers of the knee joints;
• Meniscinjections;
• Inflammatory joint diseases (rheumatism, gout, illness of Bekhterev etc.);
• Metabolic injury;
• Congenital weakness of the band apparatus (hypermobility of the joints);
• Hereditary disposition for the arthrosis of the knee joint.

In any of us, honar rose can develop - experts find that this (paradoxically) is an increase in the average life expectancy of the population: our joints fail before we feel like older people and reject activities.

Symptoms of the arthrosis of the knee joint

Osteoarthritis never occurs suddenly.The first symptom that occurs long before the disease acceleum is slight pain in the knee when walking, increasing the stairs when lifting and descending.As a rule, unpleasant sensations appear at the beginning of the movement, disappear after a short walk and after a long load of the connection they return.

Over time, when no osteoarthritis is treated, the symptoms are tightened - the pain becomes continuous, the movements in the knee joint are increasingly limited and the knee increases.The doctors advise not to make a visit to the hospital if the first unpleasant sensations appear.This will do without longer and expensive treatment: the development of the disease is becoming increasingly difficult to get rid of it.

Degree of gonarthrosis

There is three degrees of osteoarthritis of the knee joint:

• 1 degrees of gonarthrosis is a gap from the first symptoms of the disease to the occurrence of bone deformations that can be felt during the examination or in X rays.In this case, the knee can change its shape in the first months of arthrosis, but due to the accumulation of liquid in the joint (this phenomenon is called synovitis).1 degree of gonarthrosis is mainly characterized by pain from different intensity that occurs during the movement.
• 2 The degree of osteoarthritis of the knee joint is accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the lowest load, a crunch in the knee when walking and crashing and decrease in the joint mobility.The growth of the bone tissue along the edges of the joint and the narrowing of the joint column is visible on the X ray.On the outside, the knee with 2 degrees gonarthrosis looks deformed and increased.
• With 3 degrees of gonarthrosis of the cartilage tissue, almost no ceremony is in the joint and in the severe form of osteoarthrosis, the bones grow together, which leads to the full immobility of the sick leg.For a person with such a disease, it is difficult to take a position in which the pain subsides - a dream is disturbed and it becomes impossible to move without scratch or stick.

After examining the X -ray, only one doctor is able to determine the degree of arthrosis of the knee joint: there are cases in which mild symptoms that are characteristic of the first degree are far from being accompanied by the destruction of the intra -cardboard cartilage.

Treatment of the arthrosis of the knee joint

If the diagnosis has proven gonar rose, it is necessary to approach the upcoming treatment responsibly.Do not expect compressing or ointments from the next pharmacy to solve the problem - this disease requires an integrated approach and compliance with the recommendations of a specialist.

There is no and there should be not a single “scenario” for the treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint - the orthopedist is obliged to take into account the patient's symptoms, the arsenal of physiotherapy techniques available in the medical institution.The best option is the treatment of gonarthrosis in a specialized orthopedic clinic.

Pharmaceutical treatment (medication for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint)

Medicines are important for the treatment of gonarthrosis, especially in situations in which you urgently need to relieve the symptoms of acute pain and reduce inflammation.For this purpose, doctors do not prescribe an anti -steroid drug -resistant medication (NSAIDS): Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Nimesulid and others.In order to combat a severe inflammatory process, steroids are prescribed and the condition of cartilage tissue - medication for joints and vasodilating medication.All of these drugs are prescribed in the form of tablets as well as in the form of creams, ointments and injecting solutions (with any severity of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint).

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

It has long been considered one of the most important folk morality for arthrosis: it was used for infusions (for example from linden flowers) and for massages.It is difficult to say how honey contributes to eliminating the causes of the disease, but this tool will definitely not harm - even doctors say.

Surgical treatment

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

• Sting.In order to get rid of excess liquid in the joint cavity, surgeons use a puncture - such a minimal invasive intervention reduces inflammation and restores the mobility of the knee.
• Arthroscopy.If osteoarthritis requires surgical surgery (usually with 2 degrees severe), it can be carried out endoscopically - this technique does not require dissection of the joint cavity, and all manipulations are carried out by thin flexible tools under the control of the microcamera control.The arthroscopy includes cleaning the common surfaces from fragments of the destroyed cartilage.
• The osteotomy near the joints is a more traumatic intervention.During the operation, one of the bones that form the knee joint is cut and then fixed again, but in a different angle.With this approach you can redistribute the load on the knee, which reduces pain syndrome and increases the mobility of the knee.Osteotomy is usually used for 1 and 2 degrees osteoarthrosis of the knee joint.
• The endoprosthetics implies the replacement of the knee joint with biologically compatible design and delivers the previous movement volume.This complex surgical intervention requires longer rehabilitation, which is why patients with 3 degrees of gonar rose are usually decided.

Non -surgical methods for the treatment of deforming osteoarthritis

Nevertheless, every operation is a serious test for the body, so people who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee joint prefer conservative treatment.Practice shows that physiotherapeutic and other methods as well as a change in lifestyle lead to a concrete improvement, whereby the use of medicinal products is minimized.

Physiotherapy

• Shock wave therapy (UVT) has been used in clinics for 20 years.During the procedure, the doctor acts on the affected area, whereby a device generates radial acoustic waves (2000–4000 impulses per procedure).The therapeutic effect is achieved due to the activation of blood supply in the joint and stimulation of the restoration processes of bones and cartilage.
• Myostimulation implies the effect of the muscles that surround the joint with weak impulses, since mobility increases in the painful leg, decreases pain and increases the endurance of physical activity.
• Phonophoresis - A combination of ultrasonic therapy and the effects of medicinal products that are very effective for gonarthrosis.It is known that only 5–7% of the drug in the form of ointment, gel or cream are absorbed by the skin.With this process, high frequency vibrations heat the tissue of the knee joint and improve the absorption of the drug, which enables it to save expensive medication and at the same time achieve a good result.
• Ozonotherapy.The effect of active oxygen on the tissue has an anti -inflammatory and analgesic effect through which you can refuse with osteoarthritis of the knee joint to take hormonal medication or reduce your dosage.

Kine therapy

• According to doctors, it enables a responsible and hard -working patient with osteoarthritis to escape the operation daily workouts after a special technique strengthens the muscles of the legs, which in some cases turns the pathological process back and attributes the patient to previous mobility.The most important success factor is a competent consequence of exercises that an experienced training therapy instructor tells.
• Massage (including lymphatic drainage) and manual therapy - methods of passive effect on the muscles, joints and ligaments of the patient.They are suitable for seated patients and are perfectly combined with training therapy, physiotherapy and medication treatment for deforming osteoarthritis.
• Mechanotherapy includes the use of special devices that improve the effects of training therapy and massage - vibration simulators, weighting and mechanical massagers.
• Joint traffic is a mechanical increase in the space of its cavity, as the pain leaves and the destruction of the joint slows down.The course application of this technology enables several years to delay the progression of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Diet therapy

The consultation with a nutritionist and a subsequent treatment of obesity and obesity is an effective addition to the main methods to combat osteoarthritis of any localization.Losing weight relieves the load on the joints and facilitates training therapy in fat people.It often enables you to have a radical treatment of obesity - a bariatric operation - a diagnosis in people who have suffered from osteoarthritis for many years.

Orthopeda doctors recommend thinking about the health of the knees, even before they have pain for the first time in this area.The recommendations are simple: to monitor the weight, carefully choose suitable shoes, to rationally turn to physical training, to deal with swimming (it removes the load from all joints at the same time), avoid hypothermia and give up smoking.