Poorly bending legs, the inability to walk without support - all these seem to be signs of old age, but in fact, they can be caused by illness. Knowledge about this disease can help everyone, because timely treatment prolongs the youth of the joints. Gonarthrosis of the knee joint has another name - deforming arthrosis or osteoarthritis of the joint.
The disease belongs to the group of degenerative-dystrophic diseases. Under the influence of pathogenic factors, changes in the tissues of the joint develop, and with this pathology, not only the cartilage of the knee joint, but also the bones, ligaments, the joint capsule and the muscles that ensure its operation suffer.
This disease is one of the most common among the pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Due to changes in the structure of the hyaline cartilage tissue, they lose their elasticity, firmness and gradually collapse. This leads to an increase in the impact on bone tissues, the appearance of so-called osteophytes on them. These are "thorns", which are bone outgrowths in the joint. If arthrosis of the knee joint is not treated, then cartilage tissue may gradually disappear completely, the bones will deform, and the function and performance of the joint will be lost.
Causes of gonarthrosis of the knee
This disease is classified as idiopathic, that is, the causes of osteoarthritis of the knee joint have not yet been precisely clarified. There are two main types of gonarthrosis: primary and secondary.
Primary or idiopathic gonarthrosis of the knee joint develops due to metabolic and circulatory disorders in the lower extremities. This form of the disease affects mainly the elderly, especially women, and people who are overweight. The reason for the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue can be an excessive load on the joint, a violation of normal blood circulation and multiple tissue microtraumas. Hormonal disorders and endocrine disorders can also lead to this.
Secondary, or traumatic gonarthrosis occurs as a result of mechanical damage to the joint. This leads to:
- knee injuries - damage to the ligaments, menisci of the knee joint, fractures and cracks in the bones with hemarthrosis;
- various inflammatory diseases - rheumatism, arthritis;
- non-inflammatory joint lesions - chondrosis, arthrosis of various etiologies;
- untimely and incompletely carried out treatment of diseases of the knee joint;
- trauma and injury in the past.
Symptoms of the disease
Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint develop gradually. At the beginning of the disease, pain appears during physical exertion, with overwork or after a long walk, then other symptoms join and a detailed clinical picture of the disease appears.
Symptoms:
- pain in the knee joint when moving;
- swelling of the joint;
- limitation of movement in the joint;
- stiffness of the knee joint;
- instability when relying on a sore leg;
- visible deformity of the bones of the joint.
Stages of gonarthrosis disease
In the clinical picture, there are several stages that reflect the severity of the disease:
- Stage 1 - a slight limitation of movement in the joint, increased fatigue of the limb, pain is mild, appears at the beginning of movement or after physical exertion, at rest the pain and stiffness of the joint disappear. The bones retain their shape, there is no deformation. The x-ray shows a slight narrowing of the joint space.
- Stage 2 - there is a pronounced limitation of movement, pain when walking becomes constant, especially aggravated by physical exertion, prolonged standing. There is a pronounced crunch in the joint during movement, lameness, bones are deformed, ligaments and muscles are weakened. On the x-ray, the joint space is narrowed by 3 times compared to the norm, osteophytes are growing on the bones, fluid may appear in the joint cavity.
- Stage 3 - the pain becomes constant, does not go away after rest and at rest. Movement is sharply limited, possibly a violation of blood circulation in the joint. On the radiograph, the joint space is practically absent, the bones are sharply deformed, strong growths of the bone tissue are noted.
Diagnosis and treatment of gonarthrosis
Diagnosis of the disease includes examination of the patient and X-ray examination of the affected limb.
Treatment of the disease should be started as early as possible. A thorough examination and consultation of an experienced specialist is necessary, since this disease has non-specific symptoms and is easily confused with other lesions of the articular system.
The main principles of treatment, which are aimed at therapeutic effects:
- eliminate pain in the knee joint;
- improve blood circulation and accelerate the regeneration of cartilage tissue;
- reduce pressure between the bones of the joint;
- restore limb mobility;
- strengthen muscles and ligaments.
Methods for the treatment of gonarthrosis
Treatment of gonarthrosis is carried out both with medicines and with the help of physiotherapy exercises, folk remedies and manual therapy.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They are traditionally used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the joints. Well relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation. But the use of these drugs, gives only temporary relief and does not cure the disease itself. In addition, they have many contraindications and side effects.
- Chondroprotectors are the most etiological treatment, they help regenerate cartilage tissue and eliminate the cause of the disease. Their use is effective in the early stages of the disease. To obtain the result, a long-term use of chondroprotectors is required.
- Local remedies - various ointments and creams - have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
- Intra-articular injections are used to provide emergency care. The most commonly used drugs are corticosteroid hormones. They quickly and effectively suppress pain and inflammation inside the joint, but, like NSAIDs, they have only a symptomatic effect.
- Manual therapy and physiotherapy - at stages 1 and 2 of the disease can give a significant therapeutic effect.
- Diet. Gonarthosis of the knee joint is called the disease of "salt deposits". Therefore, with this disease, you need to follow a diet that excludes foods that contribute to salt formation. It is necessary to limit the intake of edible salt to 1 g per day, meat, canned foods, sweet, fatty, flour.
- Walking support - using crutches or a cane can significantly reduce the stress on the knee joint and help with faster recovery.
- Therapeutic gymnastics is the main method of rehabilitation after the treatment of gonarthrosis. Only special exercises will help restore lost mobility, strengthen muscles and ligaments, and improve blood circulation. It is impossible to restore limb functions without specially designed exercises.
- Surgical treatment - in the absence of the effect of therapeutic methods, in the 3rd stage of the disease, with severe joint deformity, surgery is necessary. Usually this is joint arthroplasty. This operation allows you to return the mobility of the limb, but has many contraindications and limitations. It is also quite costly financially.
Complete cure of this disease is almost impossible. To achieve a stable remission of the disease, you need to follow all the doctor's recommendations, try to move more, do special exercises, take chondroprotectors and drugs that improve blood circulation, and also follow a diet.