The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is one of the most common diseases of the musculos and unable, the most common cause of loss of mobility, disability, and sometimes disability.With arthrosis, cartilage that does not affect the linear line surface as non-refundably affected, causing the compound to stop working properly and cause pain.
Officially, the disease is called "Deformation of Osteoarthritis";The second name is gonartrosis (from ancient Greek "Goni" - knees).Knee compounds are the largest joints on the human body and are most often affected by osteoarthritis.Much less, the disease affects the hip and ankle joints.
How is gonart?
Normally, a healthy cartilage is elastic and smooth, completely covers the moving parts of the bone and allows them to skate.The cartilage also softens stress that bodies receives when walking or exercising.
When the cartilage is destroyed (this is how the arthrosis is manifested), the upper layer of this elastic tissue becomes thinner.Sometimes we are rising on cartilage, tears appear - this wrist loses its main "shock absorber" and "bearing".Bones begin to rub for each other, together swell, gradually losing a normal look, and pain appears.
Causes of gonartrosis and risk factors
Osteoarthritis Actions are more common older, excess weight, but that does not mean that young and physically active people do not suffer from this pathology.Sometimes the development of the disease is provoked by severe physical work or excessive stress in the gym.
Here is far from the complete list of causes of joint knee arthrosis:
- Sports violations - Meniscal injuries, fractures and dislocations;
- inflammatory processes in joints and simultaneous diseases;
- Metabolic disorders - some diseases lead to formation within articulated deposits;
- Excessive stress on the compound, including prolonged standing or physical work associated with a large lifting;
- Uneven load on the joints due to the curvature of the leg - Arthrosis occurs faster in overloaded areas.
Much depends on genes - a person can have a hereditary predisposition for the arthrosis of the knee joint.In such people, the gene responsible for the development and stability of cartilage tissue is disturbed.
There are several factors that increase the risk of gonartrosis:
- increased body weight.Due to the increasing burden on the joint, cartilant tissue consumes faster;
- Age for more than 40 years.Most people have reduced physical activity.Due to physical inactivity, muscle atrophy, weak muscle tissue does not provide proper joints, and the risk of cartilage damage increases.
Symptoms of arthrosis
The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is not a disease that can occur abruptly.This seems in advance known: everything begins with a slight pain in the knee when walking.Pain can be increased if you have to go up or down the stairs.As a rule, the knee hurts at the beginning of the movement, then the pain disappears and returns again to the extended load on the wrist.
If you ignore these symptoms and do not advise with a doctor about them, the disease will begin to progress.Then the pain will change from the transition to continuously, the knee will start hurting more at rest, and will swollen.As the cartilage worsens, the mobility of the entire wrist will be limited.
Some notice that the knee "reacts" to changes in time.This really happens - nerve endings in the common capsule are sensitive to changes in atmospheric pressure.
The following symptoms are characteristic of gonartrosis:
- knee pain when moving and walking;
- Morning stiffness in the knee joint, when the range of movement is minimal;
- knee swelling;
- Dry and coarse east sound when moving - this sound appears due to the friction of the hinged surfaces.
As the disease progresses, symptoms will change:
- Pain will bother you even at rest;
- The wrist becomes deformed and loses his functions;
- Due to the deformation of the knee, walking will change.
Degrees gonartrose
There are 3 phases of development arthrosis knee joint.
1. degreeDisease - almost asymptomatic.It starts with the first disease manifestations - almost painless, for example, fittings in their legs - and lasts until the first bone deformities appear.If the knee changed the shape due to the sinovitis - it is, due to the accumulation of fluid in the compound, but intra-articular cartilage was not damaged, the disease is still in phase 1.
2. degreecharacterizes progressive changes in bone tissue.From the outside, the knee may look the same as in 1. phase - deformed and increased in size.Pain increases: In addition to incoming pain that occurs during the movement, crepitus (air) is added to the affected knee.The wrist becomes less mobile, it becomes difficult to squeal and walk on uneven surfaces.
3. degreeThe gonartrosis degree is the most obvious.At this stage, the cartilage tissue is almost left, and if the disease is heavy, bones can grow together.Then the wrist becomes completely immobilized, and the person must move only with the help of a crutch or a stick.Usually, in this point, doctors make a verdict due to the endopripetic of the damaged compound.
IMPORTANT: The doctor only can determine the correct degree of disease development.Sometimes, with mild symptoms, the disease seriously affects the crispy membrane - therefore additional studies are usually implemented for a precise diagnosis:
- Radiography - to see whether the cardboard surfaces are deformed and in which the condition is common;
- CT or MRI - for more detailed studies.
How is diagnosed and treated by gonartrosis?
The first thing that is remembered is that timely diagnosis and early treatment will help stop the disease at the very beginning.Therefore, the appearance of the first discomfort in the knee joint is a good reason to visit the doctor and undergo examination.
Doctors make a diagnosis of osteoarthritis based on medical history, complaints and the current state of common knee.The results of additional studies also play an important role - they are often prescribed to clarify the gonartrosis phase and severity of the disease.
To precisely diagnose your knee joint arthrosis, doctors usually prescribe:
- Radiography.If pathological processes began in the knee - for example, in the shared capsule, the deposits of the calcium crystal or tumor bones will be visible in photographs.Doctors most often prescribe the X-ray exam, but without a detailed examination of a common knee, his mobility and the state of the muscles support it, the image is incomplete;
- Ultrasound - can be used to assess the condition of soft tissues that surround the black joint.Ultrasound complements radiograph results so the doctor can see changes not only in bone structures, but also in tissues;
- MRI - Magnetic resonance.The MRI is prescribed due to the complaints on the pain in the knee if the doctor exempts damage to meniscus, ligaments or tendons;
- Arthroscopy is an invasive examination in which a shared cavity is examined from the inside using the camera.The cameras are inserted through small skin cuts;Through the same cutting, doctors can perform smaller manipulations - for example, remove a piece of destroyed cartilage, partially smoothed unevenness in cartilage tissue, etc.
Treatment of arthrosis is usually performed with medications, trying to alleviate pain above all, improve joint mobility and return the ability to move.Arthrosis causes irreversible changes in paper tissue - therefore impossible to discuss complete medicine.But it is possible to stop the progression of the disease - and thus slow down the further destruction of the tissue.
This is what is the standard treatment for gonartrosis?
- Local medications - patches, creams, fats and gels;
- Painters of pain;
- Anti-inflammatory drugs, especially non-steroids.Their use is considered a "gold standard" of medicine, but such drugs destroy the stomach of the gastric mucosa;
- blockade and hondroprotectors - medications whose effect appears only after long use;
- Rarely - physiotherapy and treatment of sanators.
There are recommendations for carrying orthopedic knee pads to support the wrist and reduce pain.But all of the above methods are methods of passive impact on the functioning of the compound.
This treatment relieves only some symptoms - neutralizes pain, inhibits inflammatory processes, etc.The disease itself continues to progress, gradually destroying common.In the final phases of osteoarthritis, a person loses not only the ability of work, but also the ability to move.In such cases, the wrist must be protected - that is in the knee must be inserted the artificial structure.Such surgical intervention does not pass without leaving the trace and imposes its own restrictions - and therefore reduces the quality of life.
Ways of active impact on the joint have a completely different effect, when using your body resources, muscle tone that supply a joint with blood and nutrients return.Such treatment is most effective if done under the supervision of qualified and experienced doctors.
Treatment of gonartrosis with kinesitherapy
KinesiTrapy, ie movement therapy, activates his own body forces.The correctly selected load allows you to work efficiently with the necessary muscles and strengthening the muscle corset, improve the condition of compounds and cartilage.
Treatment of kinesitherapy begins with thorough examination and necessary, myophask testing.Kinetipiteapest examines a state of painful knee, analyzes the condition of muscle tissue, tendons and ligaments.Taking into account data from ultrasound, CT, MRI and radiographs, the degree of gonartrosis was determined and the Program of therapeutic exercises was compiled.
Classes are performed on a multi-purpose simulator - an ownership simulator with a special design.Exercises are performed in such a way that they avoid excessive stress on the wrist and work only on those muscles that need to be strengthened and developed.In the initial phases, patients are prescribed by the ground high school - consisting of exercises on mat without weights.
The therapeutic effect of Chinese filters is ensured by renewing the microcirculation in the blood and improved lymphatic drainage.The cancer chilge receives more diet, the development of arthrosis slows down to completely stop, and the biomechanical joint compound is completely renewed.
Such a serious disease as arthrosis of the knee joint cannot be ignored.The best way to prevent it is to lead a healthy lifestyle: a balanced diet, physical activity.But if the joint problems have already started, you should not wait for serious warning signs - you should seek the help of a qualified doctor in the first symptoms.