Osteoarthritis of the knee joints

Arthrosis of the knee joint (deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint, DOA, gonarthrosis) is called degenerative-dystrophic changes in articular structures, in which the cartilaginous layer between the bone elements first becomes thinner and then collapses. In the early stages, the patient experiences discomfort and slight limitation of mobility, then the joint becomes deformed, and as the cartilage is destroyed, it completely loses its functions. Acute arthrosis is very painful and is accompanied by a significant decrease in the patient’s physical activity. If treatment for gonarthrosis of the knee joint is not started in time, the patient may remain disabled.

For reference:According to statistics, every fifth adult on the globe suffers from osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Osteoarthritis of the knee can be unilateral or bilateral; in women, the pathology is diagnosed twice as often as in men. People over 45 years of age often face the problem of joint deformation due to age-related changes in the body. If this diagnosis is made to young people, the cause is usually trauma.

Why does pathology develop?

The knee joint is one of the most complex in the human body. It bears most of the load when walking and other movements. It is not surprising that with age its elements begin to wear out and lose their functions. First, the cartilage layer in the articular joint loses its elasticity and elasticity, then it dries out and cracks. The shock-absorbing properties of the cartilage are reduced, and this is precisely what causes discomfort and pain when moving: the shocks and impacts of articular structures against each other are no longer softened by anything, the bones are gradually exposed and rub against each other.

Deforming arthrosis of the knee joint in old age is an optional phenomenon; it is not diagnosed in everyone. There are a number of provoking factors, the combination of which causes pathological changes in the joint.

The most common causes of pathology are the following:

• excess weight – the joint has to withstand additional loads;
• Osteoporosis is a pathology in which demineralization of bone tissue occurs;
• chronic diseases associated with metabolic disorders in the body;
• traumatic sports - gonarthrosis is often called the disease of football players due to frequent trauma to the knee joint;
• some types of professional activities associated with heavy physical activity - osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis - are found in loaders;
• spinal injuries in which the distribution of loads on the joints of the lower extremities is disrupted;
• hereditary predisposition.

Articular cartilage does not wear out immediately. In the early stages, manifestations of the disease are absent or insignificant, the patient does not consult a doctor and does not take any measures to stop the pathological process. But, if dystrophic changes are nevertheless identified, the patient has time to begin treatment and prevent irreversible changes. To do this, you must first establish what the main signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joints are.

How to recognize the disease

Symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint become pronounced at the stage when the cartilage has already become thinner and began to deteriorate. Grade 1 gonarthrosis may not make itself felt for years. However, later, attentive patients recall that they still felt atypical symptoms, they simply did not attach much importance to them, since they were not constant and did not cause much discomfort.

You can suspect destruction and inflammation of the right or left knee joint based on the following specific signs:

• morning stiffness in the joint;
• limitation of mobility after a long stay in one position;
• discomfort in the knee when climbing stairs - burning sensation, hypersensitivity;
• night pain in knees;
• pain after physical labor or sports;
• periodic sudden weakening of the lower extremities. If right-sided gonarthrosis or left-sided gonarthrosis develops, then only one affected leg gives way.

But still, the main symptom of destruction of the knee joint remains pain. They can be of varying intensity and subside at times. But as pathologies progress, they appear more often, become more intense and bother the patient even at rest, in the absence of physical activity. Based on the severity of the symptoms, the doctor can diagnose what stage the disease is at.

• Manifestations of stage 1 pathology:pain is not yet a concern, the patient may notice rapid fatigue when playing sports or physical activity, a slight limitation of joint mobility after prolonged rest. An x-ray will show a slight narrowing of the space between the bones of the joint, an uneven surface of the cartilage with slight compactions.
• For gonarthrosis of 2 degreessymptoms appear brighter and more often. The patient usually already understands that something is wrong with his knees. The joints hurt and "twist" when the weather changes, after physical exertion. Even the gentlest movements result in pain in the knee. If a person gives his leg rest, the pain will go away. But under load they will resume again. Also at this stage of the pathology, there may be a characteristic crunch in the knee when bending and extending the leg, difficulty and pain when trying to bend the leg at the knee more than 90 degrees. An x-ray will show a change in the shape of the joint cup and the presence of fluid in the joint cavity.
• Gonarthrosis 3 degreescharacterized by severe pain that occurs regardless of whether the limb receives a load or is at rest. The painful joint is especially painful at night and when weather conditions change. The patient is no longer able to bend his leg at the knee, which is why his physical activity and performance decrease. The x-ray clearly shows degenerative changes in the articular tissues. The deformation is also noticeable visually with the naked eye. The patient's legs are bent at the knees like the letter "o" or "x", which ultimately leads to the inability to move independently, without support, and even more so to perform usual professional and household duties. The person becomes disabled.

Typically, patients consult a doctor at the second stage of the disease, mainly in order to find an effective medicine for knee pain. At the first stage, it is quite difficult to identify gonarthrosis, since the symptoms are mild, and only minor changes are visible on x-rays. It is possible to detect pathological changes in the joint only with a thorough examination.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis begins with a visual examination and questioning of the patient. What will indicate the possible development of gonarthrosis:

• enlargement and change in the shape of the knee joint;
• a distinct crunch when the kneecap is displaced;
• pain when palpating the joint;
• limitation of joint mobility.

In the early stages, degenerative changes in cartilage tissue may not be visible; for this reason, CT and MRI are additionally recommended. With the help of modern diagnostic techniques, the doctor is able to accurately determine how severely the joint is affected, whether there is inflammation and fluid accumulation in the joint cavity, and also differentiate osteoarthritis of the knee joint from other pathologies.

Classification

In modern orthopedics, there are two main types of osteoarthritis of the knee joints:

• primary gonarthrosis;
• secondary gonarthrosis.

The primary form of the disease develops on its own due to age-related changes or metabolic disorders. Secondary is a consequence of another disease, injury or unsuccessful surgical intervention. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee joint can develop several months after a bruise, subluxation or fracture. According to the nature of the course, arthrosis is classified as acute or chronic. It is easier to cure the acute form of the disease.

Official medicine for gonarthrosis

Complex treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint begins only after final confirmation of the diagnosis. If the patient's condition is not critical, then doctors will first try to stop the progression of the pathology with the help of medications. Physiotherapy, massage, and manual therapy are used as additional methods.

The main goals of complex therapy:

• relieve pain and discomfort;
• restore joint mobility;
• stop the destruction of the cartilage layer and, if possible, restore it.

Important points are physical therapy and following a special diet. There are exercises and products that work to restore damaged joint tissues and help restore mobility at least partially. If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, these measures are enough for the knee joint to begin to function fully again.

But if the disease has reached the third stage, the joint is severely damaged, even the most expensive drugs will not help restore it. Surgery will be required to preserve at least partial function of the limb. It consists of removing the remains of the affected articular structures and implanting an implant, the procedure is called endoprosthetics.

Drug treatment of gonarthrosis

To eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease, restore and strengthen the joint, a complex of drugs of various groups and actions is used.

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs– joint treatment begins with them, they quickly relieve pain, swelling, fever, and partially stop the inflammatory process. But they cannot be taken for a long time, since the active components in the composition have an extremely negative effect on the functions of the digestive tract and blood composition. Typically, the course of treatment with NSAIDs lasts no more than 5-7 days. The drugs can be in the form of tablets for internal use or in the form of ointments and gels for external use.
• Chondroprotectors– these are drugs that improve the nutrition of cartilage tissue and restore their firmness and elasticity. Chondroprotectors also partially relieve pain and swelling. But such drugs do not work immediately. The first effect will be noticeable a few weeks after the start of the course of therapy. It is recommended to take chondroprotectors for at least six months.
• Hormonal drugs.They are also called corticosteroids. Drugs containing hormones are used if the pain is very severe and inflammation progresses even after a course of taking NSAIDs. They are administered as injections intramuscularly or directly into the joint cavity. Such medications instantly relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation. But they have a number of contraindications and even more side effects than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which is why they are prescribed in extreme cases. Hormonal drugs can be purchased in pharmacies only with a doctor's prescription. Immediately after the patient's condition improves, corticosteroids are discontinued.

Treatment is complemented by intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. This substance stimulates the production of synovial fluid, saturates the cells with moisture, restores their elasticity, firmness and prevents abrasion. The cost of the procedure is quite high, but the effectiveness is worth the cost.

On a note:Of all the drugs listed above, only chondroprotectors affect the cause of the disease. They stimulate the regeneration of destroyed cartilage tissue and prevent damage to surviving cartilage cells. But these drugs are expensive, while to obtain a noticeable and lasting effect they must be taken regularly for several months in a row, and sometimes even years. The cost of full treatment for many patients, especially pensioners, is often prohibitive.

Unconventional methods of treatment

Patients who have experienced first-hand what knee arthrosis is and what unpleasant symptoms it manifests, always have several available remedies in stock in case the pharmacy and medications are not available. People suffering from gonarthrosis and knee pain prepare in advance tinctures, rubs and ointments based on medicinal plants - almost all recipes require time and fresh raw materials, available only in the spring-summer season.

Treatment with dandelions

There are several ways to strengthen the joint and restore its mobility, and get rid of excruciating pain with the help of this medicinal plant. The simplest one is to eat five heads of dandelion every day during the flowering period. This should be done on an empty stomach, after rinsing the flowers with boiled water. A tincture for rubbing joints is also prepared from dandelions.

The cooking recipe is as follows:

1. Collect exactly 50 open dandelion heads.
2. Place in a dark glass bottle with a tight stopper.
3. Pour 300 ml of good vodka or triple cologne.
4. Infuse away from sunlight for one month, shaking the container from time to time.
5. Without expressing, transfer to the first aid kit, use before bed to rub the sore knee, then wrap the joint warmly and go to bed under a blanket.

There is another interesting recipe against osteoarthritis of the joints using dandelion. First you need to collect the leaves of the plant and dry them. Then pour boiling water and leave for half an hour to steam. The resulting mixture must be chewed slowly and thoroughly for as long as it takes to take exactly 3 thousand steps.

Recipes with burdock

The simplest recipe:

1. pick two or three young leaves of the plant and rinse with cold water;
2. Lightly mash the leaves to release the juice;
3. Apply to the affected joint and secure with a bandage.

Keep this "compress" overnight, remove it in the morning and throw away the leaves. Repeat the procedure daily for three weeks.

To enhance the effect, traditional healers advise lubricating the knee with cinquefoil oil before applying burdock. It's very easy to prepare. Two tablespoons of chopped cinquefoil are poured into 250 ml of any purified vegetable oil without fragrances. The oil should be preheated well, but not boiled. Leave the mixture for two weeks, then the oil can be used to treat joints.

Turpentine, eggs and other joint remedies

Using the yolk of a chicken egg, you can prepare an effective rub for sore joints. It is prepared like this:

1. Lightly beat one yolk in a bowl.
2. Add a small spoon of turpentine and stir.
3. Then pour in a large spoonful of vinegar and beat again.

The mixture is stored in the refrigerator and used before bedtime. After rubbing, the knee is wrapped in a warm cloth overnight. In the morning, you need to remove the bandage and rinse off the remaining product with warm water, and then apply any anti-arthrosis ointment.

Remember that all homemade homemade preparations are effective only immediately after preparation; they are not stored for a long time (with the exception of tinctures with alcohol, they can be stored in a dark and cool place for up to six months). Don't expect instant results. Folk remedies act on a cumulative system; lasting relief will come only after three to four weeks of regular use of home remedies for knee arthrosis. In the later stages, they will not be effective and will only help to temporarily reduce pain and swelling.

Summary:Osteoarthritis of the knee joint, or gonarthrosis, is one of the most common lesions of the musculoskeletal system in older people. In young people it occurs after injury or during excessive physical exertion. The disease can be completely cured only at stages 1-2 with a competent and comprehensive approach. At the third stage, it is most often necessary to resort to endoprosthetics in order to at least partially restore the functions of the limb and prevent complications.