Osteoarthritis of the knee

All synovial joints are prone to degenerative-dystrophic diseases – arthritis, but some in a greater, others to a lesser extent, Standard. The most common is osteoarthritis king meadow hip and articulation of affects, as they are exposed to significant Stress, and knee joints – even personal injury. If the osteoarthritis is localized in the knees, the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee (deforming arthrosis of the knee joint). Osteoarthritis of the knee joint – a disease that often leads to a temporary loss of earning capacity and disability. What is osteoarthritis of the knee to king meadow-joint reasons the reasons developed and how this disease, how you treat them – the subject of this article.

A little terminology

Osteoarthritis – non-inflammatory knee disease that starts with degenerative processes in the articular cartilage, then the process involved a common platform of the articular bone, synovium, muscle, support the articulation. Another name of this disease – osteoarthritis, included in it is an indication that the pathological processes occurring in bone tissue.

To clarify the localization, the name of the disease is the name of the; authority: osteoarthritis king's meadow, osteoarthritis of the ankle add. Because in a late stage of the regional Proliferation of articular cartilage platforms lead to a pronounced Deformation of the body, osteoarthritis of the knee and other joints of the joints is called osteoarthritis deforming, abbreviated as DOA. The diagnosis of DOA means the same thing as osteoarthritis.

What is osteoarthritis and how is it called? Quite often on the Internet, you can find the word connections gonarthrosis king's meadow, the hip joint, osteoarthritis of the knee. If the first Definition is a tautology, then the second title is a mixture of two different joint diseases. The fact that for the convenience of the Notation of the most common types of arthritis name, use the a note on the localization. So, the first part of a complex word "osteoarthritis" is derived from the Greek word that means "king's meadow". This means gonarthrosis is osteoarthritis of the knee, can also be the name used DOA of the knee joint, the knee joint osteoarthritis. And here are the names of gonarthrosis of the knee joint, and the like are Redundant.

Anatomy of the knee joint

In the literature, the mention of osteoarthritis of the femoro-patellar articulation or patellofemoral can syndrome. To understand what it is, you have to be somewhat closer with the anatomy of the knee joint. It is condylar articulation:

• the articular surface of the femoral bone with a convex head;
• Tibial Trough.

In addition to the large bones in the formation of the knee joint is a small sesamoid is involved in bone known as the kneecap or Patella. The rear surface of the upper edge of the Femur articulates. The patella is a Latin word and is called the patella and the femoral – femora. That is, if the word translate into Russian femoropatellar, the femoral-patella. It is not an independent joint but is a part of a complex king's meadow articulation. Kneecap in the correct Position, the System of bands, but sometimes he moves through injury, or the configuration has an instability, leading to.

Balancing, instability of the kneecap – the most important factors contributing to the development of the so-called patellofemoral Osteoarthritis. To his reasons is a traumatic damage to the cartilage of the kneecap with the punches, to fall. Specialists in General, the Mechanisms for the development and the clinical picture of this disease to distinguish the term patellofemoral pain syndrome, because of the classical, typical for osteoarthritis. This disease is treatable, because the thinning of the cartilage (chondromalacia) only comes at level 3, the prognosis is quite favorable. But in the absence of proper treatment, the disease is in the osteoarthritis of the knee.

Causes of the disease

What is joints osteoarthritis of the knee and what does it cause? A we have already mentioned – injury and instability of the patella, launched patellofemoral syndrome (physicians often see it as a periartroz).

To are the causes of osteoarthritis of the knee:

• congenital weakness of the muscle and ligaments that stabilize the knee joint;
• Vascular pathology of the lower extremities (varicose veins, thrombosis), due to a disturbed blood supply of the knee;
• protracted inflammatory processes in the joint cavity and periarticular tissues;
• endocrine disorders, especially Diabetes mellitus;
• Injuries to the lower extremities.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joints, threatening people, the diagnosis of DOA ankle injury, osteoarthritis, flat feet. With the defeat of the Ankle or hip joints, violation of the support function of the foot, the load on the King increased for sunbathing. With increasing age, the incidence of osteoarthritis of the knee joints increases. This is due to the slowing of the metabolism and Regeneration, circulatory disturbances, natural wear and tear of cartilage tissue, changes in hormone levels.

Osteoarthritis of the knee in young age, often develops in people with a genetic predisposition, genetic defects of the connective tissue. Also, he vulnerable for athletes and people who do heavy physical work with a load on the legs. Strong king lawn damages the joints overweight.

Symptoms

In the case of osteoarthritis of the localization of the symptoms gradually grows from Phase to Phase. 1-stage osteoarthritis of the knee complaints, the Patient learns:

• the legs tired quickly;
• at the beginning of the movement, a short-term pain, feeling of tension, stiffness, but about a half hour disappearance of these symptoms;
• the pain can be renewed after a longer exposure, but the Rest of it.

On 2 levels, lower load, enough to cause pain and requires a longer holiday, to the it went. Since this is the Phase often inflamed synovium to mechanical pain occurs inflammatory, which in a state of rest. For Synovitis due to an increase in the king's meadow due to the accumulation of inflammatory effusion in the joint cavity, the skin is often red, hot to the touch.

If in an early stage contractures (limitation of joint mobility comes), especially in connection with painful sensations with the movements, then to the extent of Standard, such as the illness of the king's meadow-joint progresses, contractures steadfast. Grow osteophytes, which reduced the movements and lose the elasticity of the ligaments, muscles weaken, the production of the intra-articular lubrication – synovial fluid. At level 3, the Amplitude of the movements is strong, can be reduced, some patients make only rocking motion in the king's meadow. Finally, in the final stage the joint is deformed due to bony growths, the bone in the king's meadow curved (X-shaped or O-shaped deformation).

What is joints osteoarthritis of the knee and what symptoms allow the differentiation of patellofemoral syndrome? For the latter characteristic are:

• Pain, to feel the located in the front of the knee, the bend in the Jogging, reinforced at the knees, lifting from the chair, go up stairs;
• Swelling in the area of the kneecap;
• limping gait;
• Cracking noise during movements, the Flicks, and the pain does not occur at the same time.

Swelling of the knee, a change of pace, the pain syndrome is characteristic for osteoarthritis of the knee, but the pain felt in the depth of the joint, suffers mostly in its inner side. Movement often accompanied and pain, tenderness and crepitus manifests. To define the localization of the process, you need functional Tests and x-rays.

Methods of diagnosis

The diagnosis of DOA is after a complex examination of the patient. First, the doctor will listen to complaints, is studying history, inspected the feet, to affect the joints, leads to passive movements and asks the patient a series of active. Gonarthrosis is one-sided and two-sided. In the case of unilateral lesions of the healthy limb compared with the sick. Agility, muscle, rate of force, as measured by grinding the thighs and shins, the length of the legs. Since osteoarthritis of the knee accompanied by atrophy of the muscles and ligaments, the affected leg is reduced in volume and shortened.

After a physical examination of the Hardware and laboratory methods:

• the main method of diagnosis of osteoarthritis – x-ray, the image is in at least 2 projections;
• CT – a type of x-ray examination of the stratification results in an image of the joint;
• you evaluate the condition of the cartilage, soft tissue, the volume of synovial fluid allows uzi;
• high-Intensive method for the diagnosis of MRI;
• the analyses, in order to differentiate osteoarthritis from Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases is are associated with it.

At the time of diagnosis and the determination of the degree of osteoarthritis of the knee knee rays are based on the data of the x-ray.

1. Smaller, in General, uneven joint gap, the first osteophytes in the Form of small pointed to the edges of the articular cartilage playgrounds.
2. The narrowing of the lumen of the articular cartilage to 50% and more, multiple large osteophytes, seal bone density (osteosclerosis) in the areas of greatest stress. Against the background of foci osteosclerosis observed enlightenment – testopodobnymi cavity can be.
3. The almost complete absence of articular cartilage shimmer, pronounced osteosclerosis, coarse osteophytes, deformation of the articular surfaces the benefit of the bone, the smoothing of the relief, the curvature of the axis of the limb.

Treatment

Next question: what is joints a osteoarthritis of the knee and how to fight it? Treatments for this disease are varied, it is extremely important to take a holistic approach, a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy. The treatment should be with a limit of loading on the king's meadow. To do this, you have to give up running, jumping, lifting, obese patients should lose weight.

For those whose muscles are weakened due to lack of exercise, need to move more and more, but the knee joints not to overload. The shoes need to be comfortable, we recommend the use of a cane, also an orthopaedic surgeon can protection of the knee, orthosis and other devices for the relief and stabilization of the joint to pick up. You must on a diet.

Drug Treatment

As for the treatment of osteoarthritis, if it accompanied by pain? Most of the time you will tailored with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the gels oral and use in the Form of ointments,. To prescribe, in addition, irritation ointments the end. In the case of a strong inflammation process shown injections in the joint hormonal preparations in combination with local anesthetics. But this treatment can only alleviate the symptoms, it mini-course will testify, to witness.

On the 1-2 stages of the symptomatic treatment necessarily need to combine with the admission chondroprotectors. These medicines slow down the destruction of cartilage tissue, and in the early stage even contribute to your recovery. Excellent pain relief and restoration of mobility of the intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid.

Of drugs for osteoarthritis are also vasodilators are administered, and medications to improve microcirculation, the recording is displayed in the case of circulatory disorders of the joint. Remove muscle spasms muscle relaxants help. Specific means for treatment of osteoarthritis along with cartilage protectors, a drug, a neutralizing activity of a protein that destroys cartilage.

Drug-Free Treatment

Osteoarthritis of the knee the knee joints and drug-free treatment is shown. Among the methods of non-pharmacological therapy:

• Physiotherapy – electrophoresis, ultrasound, magneto therapy, laser therapy, UHT, UFO, and others;
• Applications, Paraffin Wax, Ozokerite;
• Compresses, applications with dimexidum, medical bile, bischofite;
• Massage with the effect, preferably, not on the joint and the surrounding muscles;
• manual therapy, traction, or gentle repositioning of the joint;
• Exercise Therapy, Physiotherapy. Master exercises you can the detailed Video, complex descriptions with photos, but it's better to start classes under the control of the instructor.

In some clinics, the Test finds an innovative method of treatment – stem cell therapy. It allows for the restoration of cartilage, without resorting to surgical procedures.

1-stage osteoarthritis of the knee shows only conservative treatment, starting with 2 a surgical procedure can be carried out. The Progressive operations for osteoarthritis:

• arthroscopic debridment – removal of osteophytes, dead plots cartilage through a small incision;
• arthroscopic chondroplasty – repair of the articular cartilage;
• Endoprosthesis – artificial joint replacement.

The first two operations in the rule to level 2, which is a temporary effect in 1-2 years. Arthroplasty is shown in 3 stages of osteoarthritis of the knee is the only way to avoid disability. Prostheses serve for 15-20 years, after which further surgery will be required.

Osteoarthritis of the knee, or osteoarthritis of the knee joints is one of the three most common types of arthritis. Pain in the king's meadow can specify not only the development of the arthrosis, but also an injury to the ligaments or meniscus, Arthritis and a number of other diseases. Therefore, at the onset of worrying symptoms, you must consult a doctor and check can.

Often osteoarthritis of the knee joints and slowly progresses by the appearance of the first symptoms until the complete loss of the functions of the joint a couple of decades can happen. Fully osteoarthritis of the knee cannot be cured, but if you start treatment in an early stage of his brakes and delay the development of the last Phase, due to the disability.