Osteoarthritis of the knee joint: causes, symptoms and treatment

A healthy person perceives the ability to walk and run as something natural and simple.However, those who have encountered diseases of the musculoskeletal system know how many difficulties the temporary or constant limitation of mobility carries.Meanwhile, every other person over 50 years old suffers from arthritis, and arthrosis of the knee joint is one of the main causes of disability in women and men.

The causes of osteoarthritis in the knee joint

Despite the widespread occurrence of arthrosis, there is still a confusion with the name of this disease.It is officially called "deforming osteoarthritis."But even from the doctors from doctors 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 than osteoarthritis.

Deforming osteoarthritis is a progressive lesion of cartilage lining of the lead's surface, leading to a violation of its work and pain.

This is an extremely common pathology that is more common in women of advanced age suffering from overweight.Sometimes deforming osteoarthritis is also observed in young sportsmen: The driving force for the development of the disease is sports trauma caused by excess stresses in the gym.

In addition, gonarthrosis occurs for the following reasons:

• breach of the legs and dislocations of the knee joints;
• MENISC injections;
• Inflammatory joint diseases (arthritis, arthritis, disease of Bekhterev, etc.);
• Metabolic violation;
• congenital weakness in the ligamental appliances of the joint (joint mobility in the joints);
• Hereditary disposal for arthrosis of the knee joint.

Honar rosing can develop in any of us - experts notice that this is a consequence (paradoxically) an increase in the average life of the population: Our LED fails before we feel like the elderly and refuse activity.

Symptoms of arthrosis in the knee joint

Osteoarthritis never occurs suddenly.The first symptom that occurs long before the auggeum of the disease is slight pain in the knee when walking intensifies during lifting and descent up the stairs.Unpleasant sensations usually appear at the beginning of movement, disappear after a short walk, and after a long load on the collection they return again.

Over time, if the arthosis is not treated, the symptoms worsen - the pain becomes continuous, movements in the knee joint are increasingly limited and the knee increases in size.Doctors do not advise to go on a visit to the hospital already when the first unpleasant sensations appear.This will do without prolonged and expensive treatment: With the development of the disease it becomes increasingly difficult to get rid of it.

Degree of gonarthrosis

There are three degrees of arthosis of the knee joint:

• 1 degree of gonarthrosis is a hole from the first symptoms of the disease to the appearance of bone formations that are noticeable under study or in x rays.In this case, the knee may change its shape in the first months of arthosis, but due to the accumulation of fluid in the joint (this phenomenon is called synovitis).1 degree of gonarthrosis is mainly characterized by pain of different intensity that occurs during movement.
• 2 The degree of arthosis in the knee joint is accompanied by unpleasant sensations at the slightest strain, a crunch in the knee when walking and squatting and a decrease in joint mobility.On X -Ray, the growth of bone tissue is along the edges of the joint and narrowing the common hole visible.Outwardly, the knee with 2 degrees of gonarthrosis also looks deformed and increased in size.
• With 3 degrees of gonarthrosis of cartilage tissue, there is almost no remaining inside the joint, and in the severe form of osteoarthrosis, the bones grow together, leading to the complete immobility of the diseased leg.It is difficult for a person with such a disease to take a position where the pain falls - a dream is disturbed and it becomes impossible to move without a cruttle or stick.

Only a doctor is able to establish the degree of arthrosis of the knee joint after examining the radiographer: There are cases where mild symptoms characteristic of the first degree are accompanied by far from the destruction of intra -articular cartilage.

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint

If the diagnosis has detected gonarthrosis, it is necessary to approach the upcoming treatment responsibly.Do not expect that compressions or ointments from the nearest pharmacy will solve the problem - this disease requires an integrated approach and compliance with the recommendations of a specialist.

There is no one and there should not be a single "scenario" of the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint - the orthopedist is obliged to take into account the patient's complaints, be aware of the contemporary pathology and take into account the arsenal of physiotherapy techniques available in the medical institution.The best option is the treatment of gonarthrosis in a specialized orthopedic clinic.

Drug treatment (medications for treating arthrosis of the knee joint)

Medicines are important in the treatment of gonarthrosis, especially in situations where you need to quickly relieve symptoms of acute pain and reduce inflammation.For this purpose, doctors do not prescribe –Asteroid anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Diclofenac, Indomethacin, Nimesulide and others.To combat a severe inflammatory process, steroids are prescribed and improve the condition of cartilage tissue - drugs for joints and vasodilating drugs.All of these drugs are prescribed both in a tablet form and in the form of creams, ointments that inject solutions (with any degree of severity of the arthosis of the knee joint).

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

It has long been considered one of the most important folk music for arthrosis: it was used for both infusions (for example from Linden Flowers) and for wrapping and massage.It is difficult to say how honey helps eliminate the causes of the disease, but this tool will certainly not bring harm - says even doctors.

Surgical treatment

Objects at varying degrees of invasivity are not only designed to relieve the symptoms of the disease, but also to eliminate its causes.

• Puncture.To get rid of excess fluid in the joint cavity, surgeons reduce to puncture - such a minimally invasive intervention reduces inflammation and restores the knee mobility.
• Arthroscopy.If arthrosis requires a surgical operation (usually with 2 degrees of severity), it can be performed endoscopically - this technique does not require dissection of the joint cavity and all manipulations are performed by thin flexible tools while controlling microcamera control.Arthroscopy involves the purification of the joint surfaces of fragments of the broken cartilage.
• 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 attached again, but at a different angle.This approach allows you to redistribute the strain on the knee, reducing the pain syndrome and increasing the mobility of the knee.Osteotomy is usually used for 1 and 2 degrees of osteoarthrosis of the knee joint.
• Endoprotetics involves replacing the knee joint with bio -compatible design, giving the previous amount of movements.This complex surgical intervention requires prolonged rehabilitation, usually, usually, patients with 3 degrees of gonar rose are decided on it.

Non -surgical methods for treating deforming osteoarthritis

But still, any surgery is a serious test for the body, so people suffering from arthropods in the knee joint prefer conservative treatment.Practice shows that physiotherapy and other methods as well as a change in lifestyle lead to a concrete improvement with minimizing the use of pharmaceutical substances.

Physiotherapy

• Shock Wave Therapy (UVT) has been used in clinics for 20 years.During the procedure, the doctor works on 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 stimulating the processes of restoration of bones and cartilage.
• Myostimulation involves the effect of the muscles surrounding the joint with impulses in the weak stream, due to which mobility in the sore leg increases, pain decreases and endurance increases to physical activity.
• Fonophoresese - a combination of ultrasonic therapy and the effects of drugs, which is very effective for gonarthrosis.It is known that usually only 5-7% of the drug in the form of ointment, gel or cream is absorbed through the skin.With this procedure, high frequency vibrations heat the woven of the knee joint and improve the absorption of the medication, which allows you to save on expensive medicine while it gets a good result.
• Ozonotherapy.The effect of active oxygen on the tissue has an anti -inflammatory and painkilling effect, through which with arthos of the knee joint you can refuse to take hormonal drugs or reduce their dosage.

Kinestherapy

• Medical physical training (exercise therapy), according to doctors, allows a responsible and hard -working patient with arthosis to "escape" from the operation.Daily training points according to a special technique strengthen the smooth muscles of the legs, which in some cases return the pathological process and return the patient to the previous mobility.The most important success factor is a competent order of exercises, as an experienced training therapist tells.
• Massage (including lymphatic drainage) and manual therapy - methods of passive effect on the muscles, joint and ligament of the patient.They are suitable for sedentary patients and are perfectly combined with exercise therapy, physiotherapy and drug therapy for deforming osteoarthrosis.
• Mechanotherapy involves the use of special devices that improve the effect of exercise therapy and massage - vibration simulators, weighting and mechanical massages.
• Common traffic is a mechanical increase in space in their cavities, due to which pain leaves and the destruction of the joint brakes.The course use of this technique provides the opportunity to postpone the development of arthrosis of the knee joint.

Department of Department

Consultation with a nutrition physiologist and subsequent treatment of obesity and obesity is an effective addition to the most important methods of combating arthrosis of any location.Losing weight relieves the load on the joints and facilitates exercise therapy in fat people.Often, radical treatment of obesity - bariatric surgery - allows you to make a diagnosis in people who have suffered from arthrosis for many years.

Orthopeda doctors recommend thinking about the health of the knee even before you first feel pain in this area.The recommendations are simple: To monitor the weight, carefully choose appropriate shoes, rationally approaching physical training, participating in swimming (it removes the load from all joints at the same time), avoid hypothermia in the legs and give up smoking.