Osteoarthritis, in whatever joint it is located, is a degenerative-dystrophic change in the cartilaginous tissue of the joint. The term "arthro" itself means that the disease pathology is not inflammatory in nature. Often in the diagnoses they write "gonarthrosis".
The prefix "gon-" indicates the location of the lesion; this term means knee in translation from the Greek. In some cases, the term "osteoarthritis" is used; this name is more familiar to English and American doctors.
Gonarthrosis most often develops in women over 40 years of age. The factors that increase the probability of the appearance of the disease are obesity and hormonal extinction. The disease can develop as unilateral and bilateral.
The disease can develop up to 40 years of age. In young people, deforming osteoarthritis of the knee is usually caused by injuries.
With knee osteoarthritis, the cartilage is first covered with microcracks, then it becomes thinner and stratified. When bending the knee, pain appears, gradually increasing. If, with gonarthrosis of the knee joint, you do not start treatment at the first signs, you may limp, and then completely lose the ability to move.
Gonarthrosis of the knee - symptoms
Symptoms of the disease depend on the extent of the injury. But there is also a common symptom: pain.
It grows gradually.
Grade 1 is characterized by mild painful sensations that occur when the load on the knee joint increases. A minor effusion may appear: the accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity. At rest, the pain disappears, there are no external changes in the knee, sometimes edema forms, which also disappears on its own.
With second-degree gonarthrosis, pain appears not only after exertion. At rest, discomfort may occur after changing the position of the lower limb. Now the knee joint needs a long rest. The knee swells periodically, and when bent, a crunch may appear. Bending and bending the leg becomes troublesome. If synovitis or bursitis develops against the background of osteoarthritis, the accumulation of synovial fluid in the joint cavity or bursa (bursa), the knee swells and becomes hyperemic.
X-ray shows significant cartilage tissue damage, joint space narrowing, initial bone deformation.
With 3 degrees of gonarthrosis, the severity of the symptoms increases. The leg is already bent with difficulty, the maximum flexion is 130-1400. . . The joint deformity is already expressed externally. The pain does not go away during rest, it becomes almost constant. It is impossible to fall asleep without pain relievers.
The x-ray shows a narrowed joint space, deformed joint bones, numerous osteophytes (spines that appear due to salt deposits) in the joint cavity.
Lack of treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee joint significantly worsens the quality of life: the ability to maintain an upright posture is lost.
Causes of gonarthrosis of the knee joint.
The disease can be triggered by the following reasons.
- Injuries: dislocations, fractures, muscle sprains and ligament tears in the joint area, meniscus injury.
- Illiterate treatment of injuries - prolonged immobilization or the absence of drugs to restore the blood supply in the therapeutic regimen causes a violation of the trophism of the joint.
- Increased stress during sports or professional activities.
- Obesity. The most rapid development of arthrosis appears when obesity is combined with varicose veins, a violation of soft tissue trophism + a constant increase in load.
- Violation of the structure of the ligamentous apparatus, its injuries.
- Inflammatory processes in the body of various etiologies that provoked the development of arthritis. Against the background of arthritis, an inflammatory process, osteoarthritis develops in the future.
- Disruption of metabolic processes in the body, which does not allow the absorption of useful substances in the required volume.
- Inadequate nutrition, including diets, insufficient nutrients from food.
- Hormonal changes.
- Emotional instability and stressors.
- Bad habits: smoking, using drugs and alcohol.
- Hypothermia.
- Intoxication of the body.
The last 2 points cause relapses of osteoarthritis, since they worsen the general state of the organism.
Gonarthrosis of the knee - treatment
Diagnosis of the disease consists of several stages:
- anamnesis collection;
- visual inspection;
- laboratory tests: general and specific blood and urine tests;
- Hardware and diagnostic exams: X-rays (required), CT scan, MRI.
An ultrasound may be required to assess the condition of the vessels.
Knee osteoarthritis is usually treated at home; in most cases, referral to a hospital is required for patients recommended for surgery; excision of the damaged joint capsule and endoprosthesis. If the disease begins to be treated in stages 1-2, then it can be brought into a state of remission by conservative methods.
The following therapeutic measures and drugs are prescribed:
- Immobilization of the affected limb during the exacerbation.
- Elimination of pain with drugs of various groups:
- NVPS;
- pain relievers, including those containing narcotic ingredients - used once for intolerable pain;
- anesthetics in the form of injections.
- The most commonly prescribed non-steroidal drugs. They are manufactured in various forms, such as creams, ointments, suppositories, injections, solutions; you can use them as you like.
- Corticosteroids are used, they are also injected into the joint cavity.
- To eliminate soft tissue spasm and restore trophism, muscle relaxants are used.
- Prescribe medications that restore peripheral blood supply.
- Vitamin therapy: B vitamins are given in the form of injections.
- To stop bone deformation and restore cartilage tissue, chondroprotectors are used. At the initial stage, they are injected into the joint cavity, and then taken in the form of tablets. The course of treatment is long, up to 6 months.
- Physiotherapy: paraffin, ozokerite, hydrocortisone electrophoresis, exposure to currents of different frequencies, magnetotherapy.
- Massage.
- Physiotherapy exercises - otherwise it is impossible to restore movement in the lower limb.
Modern treatment of osteoarthritis is supplemented by the following methods.
Ozone therapy (in the context of glucocosteroid treatment). Injections of saline, enriched with ozone, are injected into the affected joint, causing restoration of trophism and elimination of pain.
Kinesitherapy. Special exercises help to restore the amplitude of the affected joint - the load is selected individually for each patient.
Home treatment with folk remedies cannot eliminate osteoarthritis of the knee joint, but it helps to keep it in remission for a long time.
Folk remedies for external action are ointments and rubs, which are made at home from natural products and remedies that have a local irritating effect. The knee joint is rubbed with alcoholic tinctures infused with hot pepper, horseradish, and onion peels. White cabbage compresses and a honey cake are applied to the knee, the leg is raised in coniferous baths or infusion of comfrey.
When treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint, it is necessary to follow a special diet; necessary:
- reduce the amount of salt in the daily menu;
- give up hot spices;
- reduce the amount of foods high in purines;
- increase the amount of fermented milk and plant foods (excluding sorrel, legumes, spinach);
- to expand the drinking regimen.
Only a comprehensive treatment of gonarthrosis will help to eliminate painful sensations in the joint and lead the disease to long-term remission.