The knee joint is formed by a mobile “tandem” of tibia and femur.Their lateral displacement is prevented by the patella, and easy and smooth movement is ensured by an elastic layer of resistant cartilaginous tissue.
The thickness of the “healthy” cartilage lining the articular surfaces of the bones of the knee joint is 5-6 mm.
This is enough to soften the mechanical friction of the bones and absorb the "shock" load.A disease leading to the destruction of the natural shock-absorbing tissue and deformation of the joint - gonarthrosis or arthrosis of the knee joint, has unpleasant symptoms, and its treatment is often made difficult by the initiation of a compensatory mechanism by the bone structures.
What triggers the disease?
There is an opinion that gonarthrosis of the knee is a consequence of "salt deposition".However, calcification, or the deposit of calcium salts in the ligament system of the knee, has no independent significance and is more a consequence than a cause.
What is gonarthrosis and how to treat it?
In fact, the “starting point” should be considered a violation of the blood supply to small bone vessels and its consequence – the difficulty in the trophism of cartilaginous tissue and its depletion.Deformation of the hyaline cartilage follows.The latter exfoliates, covering itself with multidirectional cracks.The synovial fluid becomes more viscous and loses its natural "moisturizing" properties of the cartilaginous tissue.
The complete disappearance of the drying “shock absorber” could be called the end of the pathological process.
However, the underlying bones that have lost their cartilaginous "covering" compensate for the loss by growing along the periphery and becoming covered in "spikes" - bony growths.In this case, the knee joint is deformed and the legs take on an X- or O-shape, which is why this pathology is also called deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint (hereinafter referred to as DOA).
What are the causes of osteoarthritis of the knee joint?
- Aging of the body and consequent "wear and tear" of the joints;
- Excess body weight;
- Extreme loads on the knee joint (in athletes);
- Knee injury, fracture of one of his bones;
- Removal of the meniscus;
- Untreated arthritis, rheumatism;
- Abnormal position of the bony components of the joint;
- “Failure” of the endocrine system and disharmony of hormones, metabolic imbalance.
Osteoarthritis is often confused with various arthritises.
However, the difference between arthritis and arthrosis of the knee joint is that the former is often the result of the invasion of the body by various pathogens, which “results” in inflammatory diseases of the entire body.
Sometimes the signs of arthritis - inflammation and swelling of the joint, swelling, pain that worsens at night - are the result of the "deployment" of an active defense by the immune system against the body's cells.
Osteoarthritis, being an exclusively local disease, often becomes a logical continuation of arthritis or a consequence of gradual "wear and tear" of the joint.
Primary and secondary gonarthrosis
In orthopedics and traumatology, types of arthrosis of the knee joint are usually distinguished based on the reasons that gave rise to degenerative changes in the articular cartilage.
- Age-related or primary gonarthrosisThe knee joint often interrupts the course of a relatively painless old age due to physical wear and tear of the cartilaginous tissue.Women over the age of 40 face this form of the disease a little more often than men.Early development of primary gonarthrosis threatens athletes and those with extra pounds;
- Secondary gonarthrosis– a logical continuation of a previous injury or a consequence of premature treatment of inflammatory diseases, develops at any age.
Where is the disease hiding?
Developing gradually, gonarthrosis is localized on the inside of the knee joint.However, the disease can “hide” between the kneecap and the surface of the femur.
- Left-sided gonarthrosis often affects athletes and overweight people;
- People whose professional or sporting activities involve excessive dynamic or static loads on the right leg are more susceptible to degenerative changes in the cartilaginous layer of the right knee joint;
- Bilateral gonarthrosis is often age-related.Regardless of the reasons, in most cases uncontrolled destruction of both knee joints leads to disability.
Oh, it hurts!
Signs of gonarthrosis of the knee joint are rather vague at the beginning of the disease, and not many people will rush to visit a rheumatologist or arthrologist if they feel knee pain after a long walk.
After all, a short rest and relaxation relieves the unpleasant symptoms of a slightly "crunchy" knee, giving a dubious feeling of physical well-being.
In fact, the "vague" symptoms of the early stages of degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system make their timely identification and treatment extremely difficult.Gonarthrosis deformans is no exception.
- Stage 1 gonarthrosis, manifested only by slight discomfort caused by fatigue of the limb, is extremely difficult to recognize on your own.A timely impulse to visit a doctor is often given by a dull pain in the knee and the “creaking” of rough cartilages clinging to each other;
- 2nd degree gonarthrosis lays the foundation for the deformation of the knee joint and hinders its movements in the morning, causing the need to “diverge”.Severe and prolonged pain occurs after standing or sitting for a long time.Moderately limited knee mobility is accompanied by a creaking sound;
- The maximum signs of arthrosis of the knee joint appear in the third stage of the disease.A swollen knee, the local temperature of which is increased, often hurts at rest.
The movement of the joint is blocked by sharp pain caused by "joint mouse" - fragments of broken bone growths.
A deformed joint loses stability and is difficult to move.Advanced disease at this stage requires prosthetics.
Can knee osteoarthritis be cured?
The well-known statement "Rest is not an end in itself, but a means to an end" is directly related to those who are faced with the initial manifestations of the disease.Rest ensures maximum unloading of the knee joint during a flare-up.For the same purpose, the use of individual orthopedic insoles is recommended.
The use of individual orthopedic insoles will ensure maximum relief of the knee joint.
A kind of insurance against the disease, or rather against its exacerbation, will be special orthoses that support the stability of the “loose” knee joint in athletes.
A cane will help older people "unload" their joints while walking.But the listed measures are more likely to prevent arthrosis of the knee joints.If such "vaccination" did not help and the worsening of gonarthrosis is manifested by inflammation and pain, you should hurry to consult an orthopedist or arthrologist.
How to treat gonarthrosis?
- Phase 1.Curb inflammation and the pain that accompanies it.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used orally, intramuscularly, or intravenously will best address the “acute” problem.NSAIDs “sealed” in rectal suppositories will have a prolonged effect.
The use of corticosteroids is also justified: they are "administered" directly to the diseased joint.
Topical use of ointments or gels with an active anti-inflammatory component will help enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of NSAIDs used internally.The latter help to quickly relieve swelling.
Drugs that reduce vascular muscle tone are often prescribed together with NSAIDs.This improves periarticular blood flow.
What to do in case of arthrosis of the knee joint, for example, for patients suffering from gastrointestinal diseases for whom taking NSAIDs and painkillers is dangerous?
Oxygen therapy would be a good alternative.
- Phase 2.“Nourish” the dried cartilage with substances that stimulate collagen synthesis.Chondroprotectors intended for this purpose act slowly, but their long-term use promotes the synthesis of natural components of the cartilage matrix.The greatest effect is achieved with intra-articular administration of drugs.
- Phase 3.We smooth out the "roughness" of the cartilage and reduce the friction of the cartilage by introducing hyaluronic acid.
- Phase 4.We improve blood circulation and joint trophism through physiotherapy.For this purpose, it is recommended to combine business with pleasure and undergo sanatorium treatment.
- Phase 5.We turn to non-traditional methods of treatment: acupuncture and hirudotherapy, apitherapy.An innovation in the treatment of DOA of the knee joint is the intra-articular administration of Orthokine, a serum obtained from the patient's blood proteins.
What are the right exercises to do?
Physical therapy will help slow down the progressive destruction of the joint elements.Its primary objectives:
- improve the blood supply to the joint and activate the trophism of all its components;
- greater knee mobility;
- increase the tone of all muscles in the human body.
It is recommended, at least initially, to carry out physiotherapy sessions under the supervision of a physiotherapy instructor.An experienced trainer will select exercises that correspond to the level of joint mobility, excluding high-amplitude exercises and exercises with excessive axial load, everything that can damage the soft tissues of the joint and worsen the patient's condition.
Green pharmacy recipes: the options are there!
Provides gonarthrosis and treatment with traditional methods:
- Option 1.Grind 120 g of garlic, 250 g of celeriac and 3 lemons in a meat grinder.Place the mixture in a 3-liter jar and fill it to the brim with boiling water.After storing the composition overnight in a warm place, wrapping the jar well, start taking it in the morning, consuming 70 grams of the drug every morning.Gradually increase intake up to 3 times;
- Option 2.Treat the sore joint with a mixture of 1 tbsp.the.honey and 3 tbsp.the.apple cider vinegar.Place a fresh cabbage leaf on top (beat it lightly with a knife) or burdock (light side towards the joint).Wrap the leg with cellophane film and a soft scarf.Do it at night, up to 30 procedures.
Inevitable decision
Often severe pain and joint dysfunction threaten disability.
So middle-aged patients, as well as young people diagnosed with arthrosis of the knee joint, need surgical intervention.
The most common procedure is endoprosthesis.The duration of such an operation is no more than one hour and its effect is painless functioning of the “restored” limb for at least 20 years.As time passes, the “loose” prosthesis will need to be replaced.