Osteoarthritis or gonarthrosis of the knee joint

In the group of diseases of the musculoskeletal system of degenerative-dystrophic origin, gonarthrosis of the knee joint occupies the main place.

Gonarthrosis or osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a disease accompanied by a slow destruction of the cartilage tissue of the ankle with the involvement of the entire joint in the pathological process, including the ligaments, synovium, subchondral bone and other elements of the joint.

Under the influence of various factors, such as infectious diseases (colds, flu, typhoid, tuberculosis, syphilis, tonsillitis and others), injuries, functional overload of the wrist (for example, in athletes, busy workershard physical, ballet dancers) there is a violation of the trophism (food) of the cartilage tissue of the knee joint, as a result, the cartilage becomes thinner and destroyed, sometimes to complete extinction.

Who is at risk? First, osteoarthritis of the knee joints risks "winning" women over forty, they have it 2 times more often than in the strong half of humanity. Moreover, the risk increases in those women who tend to be overweight, or are overweight.

But, in general, gonarthrosis is a disease of the elderly. And there is a simple explanation for this. As you know, cartilage tissue consists of about 70-80% water, thanks to which it absorbs well. In addition, at a young age, the "restorative" chondrocytes of the cells are actively working. With age, the amount of moisture begins to decrease, and, therefore, the ability to soften the joint deteriorates, the cartilage becomes dry, brittle and cracked, and existing chondrocytes do not have time to repair the damage. In many ways, this explains the occurrence of gonarthrosis in the knee joint.

Causes of the disease

Predisposing factors are overweight, physical inactivity, chronic joint damage or systematic microtrauma of the joints, alcohol abuse, chronic stress, previous or existing diseases of the knee joints, such as: >

• knee arthritis,
• sprain, partial or complete rupture of ligaments,
• intra-articular fracture of the femur or tibia,
• metabolic disorders, such as gout and a number of other pathological conditions.

Very often, it is not possible to determine any specific cause of gonarthrosis of the knee joints, in this case, they speak of a combined cause, i. e. , gonarthrosis was the result of several diseases at the same time.

Also, the disease, for reasons of occurrence, is usually divided into two forms: primary and secondary.

Primary osteoarthritis is caused by age and concomitant factors, such as:

• professional predisposition,
• Overweight,
• Mbipesha,
• Varicose veins of the lower extremities.

The cause of secondary gonarthrosis may be a previous injury to the knee (fracture, rupture of the ligament apparatus), called post-traumatic osteoarthritis of the knee. The same reason may be a previous infectious disease or inflammation of the knee joint.

Symptoms

Signs of osteoarthritis of the knee joints do not appear overnight, the development of the disease occurs gradually and often lasts several months, or even years. Pain that is persistent and increases with physical activity - walking, running, descending or climbing stairs, and so on - comes to the fore. Another characteristic symptom of this disease is the presence of crepitus in the joints, it may be cracking or cracking in the knee.

Also very common manifestations of gonarthrosis are:

• an increase in local temperature (the node is hot to the touch) or general,
• presence of swollen joints,
• increasing its volume,
• difficulty moving,
• joint deformation followed by limb curvature.

As the disease progresses, when the cartilage tissue is completely destroyed, the body has no choice but to begin to defend itself. This is manifested by the proliferation of bone tissue in the bones that form the joint in the form of "thorns" (osteophytes), there is a deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Exudate appears in the articular cavities.

Depending on the size of the osteophytes and the degree of deformity, several degrees of gonarthrosis can be distinguished:

• Grade 1. GonarthrosisPatients experience slight stiffness and soreness in the joint in the morning or when sitting or standing for long periods of time. At this stage there is no deformation of the joint, mobility is fully preserved. A radiograph reveals a small osteophyte.
• Grade 2 gonarthrosisPainful sensations appear, not only in the morning, but also after prolonged exertion, the joint deforms, the articular surfaces dilate, as a result of which the volume ofjoint, bending is difficult, a chew is felt while performing the movements. X-rays show pronounced osteophyte, joint space does not change.
• Grade 3 gonarthrosisThe manifestations are the same as in the second degree, only the symptoms become more pronounced. The pain is permanent, it does not subside even in stillness and sleep. Ankle function is almost completely lost, patients can neither bend the leg nor steer it. As a result, lameness occurs, movement becomes possible only with crutches, or outside help. There is a pronounced joint deformity of the knee. On x-rays, a slight narrowing of the joint space is determined.
• There is also a fourth stage, in which there is complete immobility in the affected joint with further deformation. On x-rays, the phenomena of subchondral bone sclerosis and a considerable narrowing of the joint space are determined.

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis

To achieve good treatment results, you should seek the help of a qualified rheumatologist, and if he is not there, then a therapist, as they know how to cure osteoarthritis of the knee joints. In no case should you try to treat it yourself, it can only worsen an already no better situation. Before starting treatment, it is extremely important to establish the correct diagnosis, as accurate diagnosis is the key to successful treatment.

Treatment of gonarthrosis is quite a long process and depends on a number of factors (type of osteoarthritis, cause of osteoarthritis, degree of disease). Treatment is complex and includes drug and non-drug therapy, and in some cases, surgical treatment is indicated.

Medication treatment of knee osteoarthritis is mainly aimed at relieving the main manifestations of the disease, such as:

• Pain;
• Inflammation of the joint and periarticular tissues.

In addition to relieving the symptoms of the disease, medicines are used for:

• joint tissue repair,
• improving trophism and its blood circulation,
• strengthening the body's defenses,
• elimination of allergic reactions.

Various non-narcotic analgesics are used to relieve pain symptoms, in rare cases, narcotic analgesics are prescribed for a short time. Most often, drugs are used by the group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They have a combined anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effect.

Chondroprotectors are used to restore cartilage tissue and improve joint movement. The drug stimulates the activity of cartilage cells - chondrocytes and helps them repair tissues. The intra-articular insertion of the head protectors gives a good effect. In recent years, a new, effective product based on hyaluronic acid has emerged. For its action, this drug is called "liquid prosthesis". Once injected into a diseased joint, this drug forms a protective film on the damaged cartilage and gradually restores the normal characteristics of joint lubrication.

Muscle relaxants are used to relieve muscle spasms, in addition to a relaxing effect, they have a positive effect on blood circulation to the affected joint.

Physical and manual therapy is widely used by non-medical methods of treating gonarthrosis. The most important are magnetotherapy, acupuncture, electrophoresis and massage, traction (extension of the joints) and others. Recently, methods such as laser therapy, cryotherapy (exposure to liquid nitrogen) have entered the practice of treating osteoarthritis. Along with physiotherapy, exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee joint also has a good effect. Lfk is the use of various physical exercises for therapeutic purposes.

Gymnastics for osteoarthritis of the knee joints

At the onset of the disease, physical activity in the diseased joint should be minimized. You do not have to run, jump, lift weights, walk fast, squat. Exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee joints can be performed only after you have completed a course of treatment, under the supervision of your doctor.

it is necessary to choose exercises that help strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the affected knee joint, but at the same time do not lead the joint to excessive movement. That is, the exercises should be with minimal dynamic activity. Useful It is useful to do exercises to stretch the ligaments and joint capsules. The rules are the same, the exercises are performed gently, without using any effort.

When doing any gymnastics exercise, it is important to follow a few rules:

• Do not exercise over pain
• If exercise causes pain, then it should be replaced by another milder one.

Massage for knee osteoarthritis has a beneficial effect in restoring knee joint functions. At the site of exposure, blood vessels dilate, blood circulation improves and metabolism is accelerated. Massage procedures improve lymph flow, and this, in turn, helps eliminate residual inflammation. Massage strengthens the muscular system, increases the flow of oxygen in them, improves gas exchange, normalizes their tone and increases plasticity.

Diet for knee osteoarthritis

Recently, medical specialists have discovered that there is no direct link between the incidence of gonarthrosis and nutrition. However, an indisputable fact is that the development of osteoarthritis is greatly affected by the presence of excess weight in a person. If the cause of the disease was precisely excess weight, then it is clear that diet for osteoarthritis of the knee joints should aim at a gradual reduction of body weight. This will require a change in diet and a change in diet. Food should be less caloric, fried foods and high fat foods should be excluded from the diet. Eat more vegetables, fruits and juices.

Preventing Knee Osteoarthritis

In order for the joints to remain healthy for as long as possible, it is necessary to regularly engage in physical culture and gymnastics, but do not deal too much with this, so as not to lead to overload ofjoints. Swimming gives the best effect and minimal stress on the joints. If professional sports are involved, joint protection should be used. Useful it is useful to activate physical activity with rest, you should not stay still for a long time.

Adherence to all these simple rules, along with a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition, will not allow osteoarthritis of the knee joints to ruin every person's life.