All joints affected joints degenerative-dystrophic diseases – arthritis, but some have more, others less. Often affect a osteoarthritis, the knee, the hip, because they are exposed to significant loads, as well as the knee or even injury. If the arthritis symptoms in my knee, diagnosed with gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of deformation the knee joint). Knee osteoarthritis – a disease that often leads to the temporary work inability and disability. What is the knee joint osteoarthritis, for some reason, develop, or that it's a disease manifests itself, how to manage a subject of this article.
A little terminology
Osteoarthritis – non-inflammatory joint disease, which begins with the degenerative processes of the articular cartilage, then the process includes the joint area of the mating bone, synovium, the muscles that support the joint. This is Another name disease, osteoarthritis, this indicates that the pathological processes occurring in bone tissue.
To refine the localization of the disease name add name: osteoarthritis of the knee osteoarthritis of the ankle. Because at a late stage of the regional expansion joints on the pages can lead to severe deformation, a test, osteoarthritis of the knee joint and other synovial joints, the so-called deformation, abbreviated as DOA. The diagnosis of a DOA means the same like the osteoarthritis.
What is osteoarthritis-what else is called? Often on the Internet to find a sentence, a knee gonarthrosis osteoarthritis of the hip joint. If the first definition is the tautology, the second a mixture of the name a, two different joint diseases. The fact that the convenience, denote the most common joint inflammation, use the name, which refers to the localization. So, the first part of a compound word "gonarthrosis" dates back to the ancient Greek word meaning "knee". This is a gonarthrosis osteoarthritis of the knee, it can be used as the name DOA of the knee joint, knee osteoarthritis. But the name of gonarthrosis in the knee joint of a redundant.
Knee anatomy
In the literature is possible to find references to osteoarthritis, femoro-patella your community or patellofemoralis syndrome. To understand what you need to to the anatomy acquainted of the knee joint. This is a joint condylar:
- articular surface of the femoral head is convex;
- the tibia is hollow.
In addition to the higher bone formation in the knee joint is involved in a small sesamoid bone known as the knee, or patella. A rear surface, a top edge, articulates with a femur. Patella is the Latin name for the kneecap to the femur bone femara. If translated into Russian word femoropatellar, a femoro-patella your. This is not a standalone joint, but is an integral part of a complex knee joint. Keeps the patella elevated to a position of a tape, but sometimes moves due to injury, or in the beginning, a configuration, which is instability.
Displacement, instability of the patella – a main factor in the development of the so-called patellofemoralis osteoarthritis. Look included in the of traumatic damage to the cartilage of the patella is a blowing, it's raining. The experts usually use the term patellofemoralis pain syndrome, as the mechanism of the development of mind, the clinical picture, the pathology is different from the classic, typical of osteoarthritis. The disease can be treated, because a thinning of cartilage (chondromalacia a) only 3 stages, the prognosis is very favourable. But since it is not high in treatment of the disease in gonarthrosis.
The causes of the disease
What is osteoarthritis of the knee and what causes it, because? A already mentioned, – the injury, and the instability of the patella, running patellofemoralis syndrome (physicians often view it as pietrosz).
Look at The osteoarthritis of a knee include:
- congenital weakness, muscle -, a -, to stabilize the knee joint;
- vascular disease of the lower limbs (varicose veins, thrombophlebitis), which disrupted the blood supply to the knee;
- prolonged inflammatory process in a joint cavity of the periarticular tissues;
- endocrine diseases, especially diabetes;
- injury in the lower extremities.
Arthrosis of a knee, a threat to people diagnosed with DOA ankle, hip, flat feet. A defeat, an ankle or the hip joints, the infringement, supporting a function, a foot increases the load on the knee. The age of the arthrosis occurrence frequency of a knee joint increase. It is due to This that slow down the metabolic processes and the regeneration processes and blood circulation disorders, natural wear and tear, a cartilage, hormonal changes level.
Gonarthrosis at a young age often develops in persons with genetic predisposition, the genetic defects of the connective tissue. He is prone to athletes and people engaged in heavy physical work load on the legs. Very harmful knee joints mass.
Symptoms
If you have arthritis a localization of symptoms gradually increasing on the stage of the stage. 1 stages of osteoarthritis, the patient's unpleasant experience:
- legs tired quickly;
- the beginning of a movement short of pain, tightness, stiffness, but in half an hour ezek a symptoms disappear;
- the pain can be continued, after a long load, but disappears after rest.
2 stage small enough load to cause pain and require a longer stay, so he died. At this stage, As it is often inflamed synovium mechanical connection of an inflammatory pain that occurs in the rest. A synovitis characterized by an in growth of the knee accumulation of inflammatory effusion due to a common cavity, the skin often become red, warm to the touch.
If early contractures (limitation of mobility of joints mobility), especially associated with pain while moving, the mint, the disease progresses, knee articulation, the contractures will be resistant. Woman joints, which prevent a movement becoming shorter and lose their elasticity, the ligaments, weakened muscles, reduces the production of the lubricating synovial fluid. 3. section range of motion is significantly reduced, only some of the patients to perform a rocking movement in a knee. Finally, at a later stage, a because of a common deformed bone growths, legs bent at the knee (X-shaped or O-shaped deformation).
What is knee osteoarthritis, and what symptoms to distinguish it from patellofemoralis syndrome? The last characteristic:
- pain to a localized one at the front of the knee, usually felt when Running, then stronger during squats, lifting a chair, walking the stairs;
- swelling in a region of a patella;
- disturbances in gait;
- click during movement, click and, and then a pain at the same time does not occur.
Swelling of the knee, the gait changes in pain characteristic of osteoarthritis, but the pain is felt deep in the joint, often suffering from the inner side. Movement often accompanied by pain, crepitus. To accurately determine the localization of a process, a necessary functional tests, and x-rays.
Diagnostic methods
The diagnosis of a VICTIM after a comprehensive examination of the patient. First, the doctor will listen to your complaints, study the history, examining, feet, palpated joints do passive movements, and a patient asks you to perform active range. Gonarthrosis unilateral or bilateral. Unilateral lesions of The healthy limb compared to patient. Assessment range of motion, muscle strength, measure the circumference of the thighs and shins, feet long. Because the osteoarthritis is accompanied by muscle atrophy, and ligaments affected leg to decrease the amount of and decreases.
After the physical examination, and laboratory order hardware:
- the main method of diagnosing osteoarthritis – x-ray, a picture of at least 2 projections;
- CT scan – a scan type of x-ray, which ad more layers in one image of a joint;
- assess the condition of the cartilage, soft tissue, the synovial fluid volume allows ultrasound;
- a highly informative method of diagnosis – MRI;
- the investigation is to distinguish osteoarthritis, arthritis, and other inflammatory diseases.
The diagnosis determining the extent of osteoarthritis in knee joints based on x-ray data.
- Small, usually irregular narrowing of a joint space, joint in its original form a little bit a the edges of an articular sites.
- The joints narrowing of a lumen of 50% or more, more major joints, compaction of bone tissue (osteosclerosis) places the greatest load. In the background a foci osteosclerosis observed in the enlightenment – testopodobnymi cavity.
- An almost complete absence of the joint gap, pronounced osteosclerosis, rough joints, deformation of the articular surfaces of a bone, smoothing the relief, the curvature of the axis of a limb.
Treatment
Next question: what is a knee arthrosis, or how to deal with it? Treatment of the disease varied, it is extremely important integrated approach, a combination of a drug and not a drug therapy. Treatment should start limiting the load on the knee. It is necessary to refuse the running, jumping, lifting, the patients, who are overweight, lose weight.
Those whose muscles are weakened due to the sedentary lifestyle, you need to move, but don't overload the knee. The shoes should be comfortable, if recommended walking with a cane orthopedic specialists, pick up the knee, orthosis and other devices, unloading and stabilization of a joint. Definitely we need to keep to a diet.
Medication
How to treat arthritis when accompanied by pain? Cut off the Most are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are given orally or used in the form of ointments, gels. Also require irritating ointment. During the intense inflammatory process is detected, injection is a common hormonal medication in combination with local anaesthetics. But it's just a treatment to relieve the symptoms, it's conducted short courses, according to your testimony.
The 1-2 stage of symptomatic treatment, we must necessarily long-term use of chondroprotectors. Ezek drugs slow the breakdown of cartilage, and in the early stages may contribute to the healing. Perfectly relieve the pain, and then a restore mobility for intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid.
Medicines, foods, dyes, that can be given, vasodilators, drugs that improve the microcirculation, but can be seen, circulatory disorders, a common. To relieve the muscle spasms help muscle relaxation. Device is A special, the treatment of arthritis the cartilage protecting a drug, which neutralizes the activity of a protein, which destroys the cartilage.
The non-medicated treatment
Indicated for osteoarthritis of the knee, and not a medication. A method of non-pharmacological treatments include:
- physiotherapy electrophoresis, ultrasound, magnetic therapy, therapy laser, shock wave therapy, ultraviolet irradiation, and others;
- the application of paraffin, ozokerite;
- compression a Dimexidum, medical bile, bischofite;
- massage effect not primarily a joint and the surrounding muscles;
- manual therapy – stretching, or a slight reduction in a community;
- Physical therapy, physiotherapy. The master exercises in this training video, a photo or description of complexes, but it is better to practice under the supervision of an instructor.
Some clinics tested an innovative method to a treatment – stem cell therapy. This makes it possible to restore the cartilage tissue without surgery.
1 stage of gonarthrosis appears only conservative treatment, starting with 2 can be performed the surgery. The most advanced surgery for osteoarthritis:
- arthroscopic a debridment – removal of joints, as well as the necrotic areas of cartilage through a small incision;
- arthroscopic chondroplasty – fix articular cartilage;
- arthroplasty – joint replacement artificial.
The first two operations are usually carried out in 2 stages, to give temporary effect for 1-2 years. An endoprosthesis can see 3 stages of osteoarthritis of the knee, the only way to a avoid disability. Implants 15 to 20 just in the last year before again requiring an operation.
Gonarthrosis arthrosis, or the knee joint is one of the three most common arthritis. Knee pain, not only for the development of osteoarthritis, but damage to or a strip of cartilage, arthritis and many other diseases. Therefore, the appearance of the anxiety symptoms you need to consult a doctor, as well as the study.
Often osteoarthritis knee progresses symptoms and slow the the first to complete a common loss function, one-to-two decades. Completely cure gonarthrosis impossible, but if you start treatment early stage is more likely to slow down the development, as well as the last delay stage, which is the disability.