Gonarthrosis of the knee joint 1, 2 and 3 degrees: treatment, causes, symptoms
What is it - gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee that is not of an inflammatory nature, in which the blood supply of the cartilage covering the articular surfaces of the femoral and / or tibia is disturbed.
As a result, the cartilage is destroyed, parts of bones begin to rub against each other, so they become denser and expand. This is often accompanied by inflammatory phenomena.
Symptoms of the disease are due only to the above processes;calcium salts, if they are deposited in the joints, the cause of the pathology is not. Pathology most often develops in individuals 40 years and older, mainly women and people who are engaged in professional sports or having knee injuries.
Articular cartilage does not regenerate, so the disease should be detected and treated early in the early stages.
The disease develops with a combination of several causes:
The latter include:
How the disease manifests itself will depend on how far the degenerative process has progressed. Depending on this, three stages of the disease are distinguished, each of which has its own symptomatology.
As a rule, the first degree of gonarthrosis of the knee joint is manifested by certain symptoms, which should be noted:
It is possible to suspect the presence of gonarthrosis of the knee in the patient already on the basis of his complaints and objective examination data.
Diagnosis is confirmed with the help of such instrumental studies:
The doctor who is treating the disease is an orthopedist. Drug therapy of the disease includes the following groups of drugs:
In an acute period a person needs to provide complete rest for a diseased knee. Then proceed to the gradual introduction into his regime of the day of physical exertion.
Exercises are carried out in the position of the patient lying on the back, they consist mainly in lifting the straightened legs, keeping them in the raised position. It is important to perform exercises smoothly, carefully, so that they do not cause pain.
Begin with 10 minutes, gradually, 2 minutes a day, increasing the duration of classes. Increase and the amplitude of movements, which should be selected by specialists individually for each.
Contraindicated:
To reduce inflammation in the joint, accelerate the regeneration of articular cartilage, stop the pain, in the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint:
After the acute period, the patient is allowed to get up, but he will need to walk with a cane. For the knee, special orthoses can be selected( knee joints of rigid materials restricting movements in the joint) or orthopedic insoles.
Surgical intervention. In gonarthrosis, arthroplasty is performed with prostheses from biologically intact materials in such cases:
In the future, during 3-6 months, rehabilitation activities are carried out, including physiotherapy, exercise therapy, sanatorium and spa treatment.
With gonarthrosis, massage, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, acupressure, leeches in combination with medical, physiotherapy and exercise therapy are effective.
It is also necessary to pay special attention to your diet, achieving a reduction in excess weight. The menu should include an increased number of animals and vegetable proteins: low-fat varieties of meat and fish, boiled, steamed and steamed, cheeses, cottage cheese, bean products.
It is also recommended to drink more cold. Most of the incoming fats should be of vegetable origin, you can eat a little butter. It is also important to eat foods rich in B vitamins.
In order to avoid the development of gonarthrosis, it is necessary:
As a result, the cartilage is destroyed, parts of bones begin to rub against each other, so they become denser and expand. This is often accompanied by inflammatory phenomena.
Symptoms of the disease are due only to the above processes;calcium salts, if they are deposited in the joints, the cause of the pathology is not. Pathology most often develops in individuals 40 years and older, mainly women and people who are engaged in professional sports or having knee injuries.
Articular cartilage does not regenerate, so the disease should be detected and treated early in the early stages.
Causes of gonarthrosis
The disease develops with a combination of several causes:
- fractures of the bones of the lower leg involving the knee joint;
- trauma of cartilage interlayers of the joint - meniscus;
- ruptures of ligaments of the knee joint;
- increased load on the joint - running, squatting, lifting weights from the vertical position of the body - after 40 years of age, especially if a person does not exercise regularly;
- overweight
The latter include:
- varicose veins of the lower limbs;
- joint inflammation( arthritis), which has a different - psoriatic, gouty, rheumatoid or reactive - etiology;
- genetically determined weakness of the ligamentous-capsular apparatus of the joint, because of which its loosening occurs;
- pathology of joint innervation, characteristic of craniocerebral and spinal cord injuries;
- metabolic disease.
- 1) Primary. It occurs against the background of full joint health( without pre-injury or inflammation).It is based on metabolic diseases, long reception of hormonal means, genetic predisposition of articular cartilage. The process is usually two-sided( although it can begin as one-sided).It develops more often in the elderly.
- 2) Secondary. Develops due to injuries, inflammations, tumors transferred to the joint operations. Can develop at any age. The process is usually one-sided.
Symptoms of knee joint graft disease
How the disease manifests itself will depend on how far the degenerative process has progressed. Depending on this, three stages of the disease are distinguished, each of which has its own symptomatology.
As a rule, the first degree of gonarthrosis of the knee joint is manifested by certain symptoms, which should be noted:
- a feeling of tightening under the knee;
- stiffness in the knee, which manifests itself after sleep, prolonged sitting or prolonged immobility of the joint;
- Joint pain:
- of a dull character;
- arising during long walking, squats, walking on stairs;
- aggravated after standing or physical exertion
- joint swelling may occur for a short time, passes by itself.
- pain in the joint becomes more intense, lasts longer. It disappears after rest.
- pain is felt inside the joint or on the inside of the knee.
- feels crunching in the knee when walking.
- in the morning it is impossible to unbend the knee.
- closer to night and at night there are pains in calves.
- does not fully extend the leg.
- joint swells, acquires signs of initial deformation.
- 1) Pain in the joint worries constantly, regardless of the physical activity of the person.
- 2) Pain syndrome increases with changing weather.
- 3) The mobility of the joint is limited, due to which the person limps.
- 4) The knee is enlarged in size and deformed. When the process progresses, the joint becomes an X-shaped or O-shaped.
Diagnosis of gonarthrosis
It is possible to suspect the presence of gonarthrosis of the knee in the patient already on the basis of his complaints and objective examination data.
Diagnosis is confirmed with the help of such instrumental studies:
- 1) Radiography. This method may be uninformative at the first stage of the disease, but subsequently it visualizes the narrowing of the joint gap, the compaction of the bone area below the articular cartilage, the sharpening of the edges of the condyles.
- 2) Computed tomography of the joint. This is more expensive, but more informative( even at stage I) method based on x-ray radiation. Visualizes the joint itself and surrounding tissues in more detail and layer by layer.
- 3) Magnetic Resonance Tomography - a method based on a non-radiological, considered harmless radiation, which can be used for contraindications to CT.Also layer-by-layer displays the picture in the joint, but is more informative regarding the surrounding soft tissues.
- 4) Arthroscopy is an invasive technique of joint research, when a fiber-optic device is inserted into the hole made under local anesthesia, allowing a specialist to examine the joint from the inside.
- 5) Knee ultrasound is informative for the diagnosis of such complication of gonarthrosis as synovitis.
Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee
The doctor who is treating the disease is an orthopedist. Drug therapy of the disease includes the following groups of drugs:
- 1) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and pain medications: Voltaren, Celebrex, Rofika, Nimesil, Movalis.
- 2) Chondroprotectors: "Artra", "Arthron", "Dona", "Teraflex", "Chondroitin complex".These drugs are taken for at least six months in the dosage prescribed by the doctor.
- 3) In the joint with pronounced inflammatory phenomena, enter "Hydrocortisone" or "Kenalog" no more than 3 times.
- 4) The preparations of hyaluronic acid are shown, which must be inserted into the joint when the inflammatory phenomena in it abate: "Hyalurum", "Ostenil", "Sinocrom".These medications show a very good effect, they are administered only a few times, while having a fairly high cost.
- 5) Heating compresses with "Dimexide", "Bischofite", medical bile to improve the blood supply of the joint, increase the production of "lubricating" liquid in it.
- 6) Soya-avocado extract - "Piascladin" - has also proved to be an effective tool in the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint. At the same time, the treatment course is not less than six months.
Physiotherapy for gonarthrosis
In an acute period a person needs to provide complete rest for a diseased knee. Then proceed to the gradual introduction into his regime of the day of physical exertion.
Exercises are carried out in the position of the patient lying on the back, they consist mainly in lifting the straightened legs, keeping them in the raised position. It is important to perform exercises smoothly, carefully, so that they do not cause pain.
Begin with 10 minutes, gradually, 2 minutes a day, increasing the duration of classes. Increase and the amplitude of movements, which should be selected by specialists individually for each.
Contraindicated:
- squats;
- flexion-extension in the knee;
- walking for a long time;
- movement, in which there is pain in the knee.
Physiotherapy with gonarthrosis
To reduce inflammation in the joint, accelerate the regeneration of articular cartilage, stop the pain, in the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint:
- electrophoresis with novocaine;
- diadynamic currents;
- magnetotherapy;
- UHF;
- phonophoresis with application of hydrocortisone;
- laser therapy;
- paraffin or ozocerite applications, mud treatment.
Orthopedic gadgets
After the acute period, the patient is allowed to get up, but he will need to walk with a cane. For the knee, special orthoses can be selected( knee joints of rigid materials restricting movements in the joint) or orthopedic insoles.
Surgical intervention. In gonarthrosis, arthroplasty is performed with prostheses from biologically intact materials in such cases:
- joint function disorder;
- a significant disability if the disease developed in young or middle age.
In the future, during 3-6 months, rehabilitation activities are carried out, including physiotherapy, exercise therapy, sanatorium and spa treatment.
Additional methods, diet
With gonarthrosis, massage, acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, acupressure, leeches in combination with medical, physiotherapy and exercise therapy are effective.
It is also necessary to pay special attention to your diet, achieving a reduction in excess weight. The menu should include an increased number of animals and vegetable proteins: low-fat varieties of meat and fish, boiled, steamed and steamed, cheeses, cottage cheese, bean products.
It is also recommended to drink more cold. Most of the incoming fats should be of vegetable origin, you can eat a little butter. It is also important to eat foods rich in B vitamins.
Prevention of gonarthrosis
In order to avoid the development of gonarthrosis, it is necessary:
- 1) Avoid significant physical exertion;
- 2) Perform exercises on a daily basis, paying special attention to the correctness of the squats( especially if a person raises a load);
- 3) Keep track of your body weight, avoiding the formation of excess weight;
- 4) In time, treat inflammatory or traumatic diseases of the knee joint.