It is a disease as unpleasant in the musculoskeletal system as osteoarthritis of the knee joint.From the article, you can find out what type of illness it is, why this happens, what are the main symptoms of knee osteoarthritis and how to treat this insidious disease.
The osteoarthritis of the knee joint (another name - gonartrose) is a chronic disease of the knee joint, in which the joint destruction of the articular cartilage, followed by the deformation of the joint and limiting motor activity, is called.
Gonarthrosis is the most common type of osteoarthritis.Most often, the disease is diagnosed in people aged 40 and over.In the older age group, knee osteoarthritis is more frequent in women, in younger patients, the disease is more often diagnosed in men.In about 7% of cases, the disease leads to the development of disability.
Reasons
The main causes of the development of the disease are:
- Metabolism violation in the body;
- excess weight, which leads to an increase in the load on the knee joints;
- Increased the fragility of capillaries, various circulatory disorders;
- Ligaments of the knee joints (cracks, fractures, ligaments);
- certain endocrine diseases;
- Inflammatory joint diseases (arthritis, rheumatism);
- old wounds that have been cured incorrectly;
- Traumatic sports classes for knees (heavy athletics, bodybuilding, football, gymnastics, tennis, athletics);
- hereditary predisposition;
- Congenital anomalies of the structure of the knee joint.
Types of osteoarthritis
The following types of osteoarthritis are distinguished by the origin:
- primary- most often occurs in the elderly, at risk are patients with obesity;
- secondary- It develops after knee injuries or infectious diseases that have been poorly healed.
Depending on the location of the pathological process, the following types of osteoarthritis are distinguished:
- Left to the left- affects the left knee joint, most often observed in athletes and average age with obesity;
- Right- affects the right knee joint, is more often found in athletes and people whose work is associated with an increase in dynamic and static loads on the right leg;
- bilateral- The most severe type of osteoarthritis in the knee joint, which can lead to a handicap, is most often in the elderly.
Symptoms
The main clinical signs of the disease are:
- Pain in the knee - At the beginning, the pain occurs with increased physical effort on the joint, movement, race, long walking and disappears at rest, as the disease develops, patients arise when you try to move after a long period of rest, a person suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee is difficult to descend the stairs, over time, the pain in the knee becomes constant;
- The morning rigidity in the knee joint - lasts about half an hour, over time, the duration can increase;
- Crunch in the knee when it moves;
- With the development of the inflammatory process, patients complain about the feeling of heaviness in the knee, the joint is slightly swollen and increases the size;
- The shape of the joint gradually changes, its deformation occurs;
- With the subsequent development of the disease, lameness appears, the movements in the knee joint are limited, the patient cannot fully print the painful leg;
- The atrophy of the femoral muscles develops gradually, they become weak and flabby, reducing volume.
Treatment
When the first unpleasant symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and undergo an exam.The appropriate treatment will increase the chances of recovery and improve the prognosis.Self-medication is unacceptable and can lead to the development of a certain number of complications, until disability!
The treatment of knee osteoarthritis includes the following steps.
Non -drug therapy
- The painful articulation must ensure rest, so that crutches or canes are used to unload it;
- Ultraviolet, heat - to eliminate pain;
- Wearing special orthopedic shoes, knee pads, special soles;
- Massage, exercise therapy, physiotherapy - are prescribed after stopping the acute disease.
Pharmacotherapy
- Reception of NSAIDs inside (tablets) and externally (gels, ointments) - to relieve inflammation and pain in the knee;
- Injections of special drugs in the joint cavity - are carried out in the absence of the effect of taking NSAIDs;
- Slow systems systems - to normalize metabolic processes in cartilaginous tissues;
- Means to improve blood circulation - contribute to the standardization of blood circulation in pathological focus and improve the administration of drugs in the damage area.
Surgery
It is shown with a complete loss of joint function and includes the prostheses of the knee joint.
Health for you and your loved ones!