Arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) is a fairly common disease, second only to coxarthrosis in frequency.
Statistics show that every fifth person on the planet suffers from gonarthrosis (about 22%).There is a certain connection between this pathology and a person’s gender - women suffer from this disease twice as often as men.If we talk about age, the risk group includes patients over 40 years of age.
Degenerative changes occur at the molecular level, but over time, when the disease begins to progress, damage to the structure of the cartilage tissue is observed.If timely treatment is not started, there is a real danger of bone exposure and destruction of the cartilage itself.
Causes of arthrosis of the knee joint
To understand the specifics of the disease, it is extremely important to know for what reasons gonarthrosis develops.It is necessary to understand that the knee joint experiences enormous stress every day from the weight of the human body.The natural wear and tear of tissue that occurs as people grow older leads to changes in the structure of the joints.That is why middle-aged and elderly people most often suffer from this disease.
In addition, knee arthrosis can occur for the following reasons:
- Damage and injury.These factors most often influence the development of the disease at an early age.
- Constant loads.We are talking about engaging in active sports, despite contraindications and advanced age.
- Excess weight.This factor negatively affects the condition of the menisci.In addition, there is increased pressure on the knee joints, which provokes the development of the disease.
- Varicose veins of the lower extremities.
- Poor metabolism.Lack of minerals negatively affects the condition of cartilage.
- Arthritis and other specific and inflammatory joint pathologies.
Symptoms of gonarthrosis
The first stages of knee arthrosis are characterized by the presence of pain of low intensity.As a rule, a person does not take any action for treatment, ignoring the initial signals of the body.This condition can last for several years until it worsens.
A person feels severe discomfort when trying to stand up after sitting for a long time.Similar sensations arise in the morning when you wake up.
In addition to pain of varying degrees of intensity, arthrosis of the knee joint is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Burning in the lower extremities.The condition worsens when climbing stairs.
- Decreased muscle tone.
- Insufficient joint mobility.
- Characteristic crunch.
Specific symptoms depend on what stage the disease is at.It is clear that the more advanced the problem, the more pronounced the manifestations of the pathology.
Arthrosis of the first degree
Arthrosis of the knee joint of 1st degree is characterized by a satisfactory condition of the patient, so he may not experience any discomfort.The only thing that may bother the patient is limited mobility after waking up and fatigue in the lower extremities.
Pain is practically absent or mild.Diagnosis of the disease at this stage is possible only with the help of X-ray examination or MRI.The image shows a narrowing of the space between the articular surfaces, as well as slight irregularities in the cartilage.
Unfortunately, patients extremely rarely seek help at this stage of the disease.Most people are accustomed to not paying attention to minor concerns, which often leads to worsening of the condition and rapid progression of the disease.
Arthrosis of the second degree
Arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree manifests itself more clearly.Pain occurs immediately after any exertion, or directly during heavy lifting.This condition goes away after rest, but the discomfort returns again after resuming physical activity.
This stage is also characterized by other symptoms:
- Characteristic crunch.It is quite sharp and very often accompanied by painful sensations.
- Synovitis is a condition in which there is inflammation and swelling of the synovial membranes of the joint.
- Deformations.At the initial stages, swelling in the knee area is noticeable, but the situation can worsen significantly without appropriate treatment.
- Insufficient mobility of the knee joint.The patient experiences basic problems bending or straightening his leg.
All these symptoms gradually increase if no treatment is taken.The joint gradually loses its properties, its structure begins to change, which becomes noticeable upon visual inspection.
Arthrosis of the third degree
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint grade 3 is characterized by the presence of intense pain, which can occur both under heavy loads and at rest.Many patients are concerned about similar symptoms at night.
Meteorological dependence appears, so sudden changes in weather cause significant inconvenience to a person.The joint loses its ability to bend, so the patient’s movement becomes extremely difficult.
Pathological changes become visible to the naked eye.The x-ray shows a sharp narrowing of the joint space and multiple bone growths.
Arthrosis of the fourth degree
Arthrosis of the knee joint of the 4th degree is characterized by severe destruction of the joint, an almost complete absence of movement in it and intense pain.
Diagnosis of the disease
To prescribe an appropriate treatment regimen, the doctor conducts a consultation.The patient talks about his complaints, at what time of day the pain worsens, at rest or when performing any actions.After this, the doctor proceeds directly to the examination itself, palpating the knee area.
Arthrosis in later stages can be suspected even without the use of instrumental diagnostic methods.When bending the knee, a characteristic crunch will be heard, and the patient will experience quite unpleasant sensations.The process of palpation itself is also accompanied by pain.
To get a clearer picture, the patient is sent for an X-ray examination.To clarify the diagnosis, the use of computed tomography and MRI is also practiced.
Treatment methods for arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment of knee arthrosis may include several techniques, the effectiveness of which depends on the stage of the disease:
- Drug therapy.
- Massage treatments.
- Manual therapy, physiotherapeutic treatment, physical therapy.
- Operation.
The main goal of treatment is to relieve pain and increase range of motion in the joint.
Conservative treatment shows fairly high effectiveness results, especially in the early stages.If there is no positive dynamics during treatment, then a decision is made to perform surgical intervention.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
The initial goal of any treatment is to relieve pain.Drugs from the NSAID category alleviate the patient’s condition, reducing not only pain, but also eliminating the inflammatory process in the problem area.Only after eliminating these symptoms can you move on to other treatment methods.
Drugs in this group are the first aid for this disease.Their effectiveness depends on the severity of the clinical picture, as well as the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.
Hormonal agents
If the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs does not produce positive results, then the patient may be prescribed hormonal drugs in the form of injections.This is a much more effective remedy with which you can quickly eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
The difficulty of such treatment lies in the fact that these drugs have a rather aggressive effect on the human body, so you need to be extremely careful when using them.The doctor should prescribe a short-term course of treatment and only if the patient experiences an accumulation of joint fluid.Injection administration is possible no more than once every 5-7 days.
Chondroprotectors
Drugs in this group act directly on the very cause of arthrosis.They are designed to restore the structure of damaged cartilage tissue, as well as normalize the production of joint fluid.This is very important in complex treatment, when it is necessary to influence not only the symptoms, but also the root cause of the pathology.
Recently, the use of hyaluronic acid injections directly into the joint itself has been practiced.This procedure avoids premature wear of the cartilage.It is very important that the drug is administered by a qualified specialist.
Using other methods
Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint can be carried out not only with the help of medications in the form of tablets and injections, but also with a number of other methods:
- Ozone therapy.This method has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, and also helps normalize blood circulation.Particularly effective in complex therapy, together with other treatment methods.
- External means.Various creams and gels help eliminate pain, swelling and inflammation.The exact list of medications must be prescribed by your attending physician, so we do not recommend that you self-medicate.
If you suffer from this disease, then you need to contact the clinic for qualified help.Our specialists have the necessary level of knowledge, as well as extensive medical practice, so they can help you solve your problems.
Remember that in the treatment of arthrosis, the main key to success is timeliness, so be more attentive to your health and the signals that your body gives you.