The knee, like other joints of a person, consists of bone and cartilage.Cartoon is a smooth, elastic and elastic layer that guarantees the ease of gait and lack of friction.Damage to cartilage by chronic wear is calledarthrosis of the knee joint.
There are many factors that lead to arthrosis of the knee joint:
- genetic predisposition;
- overweight;
- abnormal movement;
- injuries.
For a long time, a person does not experience pain and only when the arthrosis of the knee leads to strain deformation, the first symptoms appear.The patient consults a doctor, but the treatment of an advanced disease can already be successful.
Arthrosis of the knee joint is often a consequence of accidents and injuries, but can manifest only after a few years.Therefore, with the slightest suspicion of this disease, you should consult a doctor.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint
Symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint include:
- pain increasing during activity;
- swelling;
- increasing the temperature of the skin;
- decrease in the mobility of the knee joint;
- The creak, the crispy sound that is heard during movement.
Pain after periods of inaction is one of the most common symptoms of knee arthrosis.She expresses herself in the morning, when the joints need time to warm up in the right way.After a person is like a while, the pain subsides.
Sometimes you can notice the first signs of knee arthrosis by just looking at him.Even if the knee sticks out more out than usual, this may be the first sign.The increased knee tendency to swelling is easy to recognize.The bulge in the finger thick is formed above the knee cup, since this place is the weakest.This is due to an increase in the accumulation of fluid in the joint.
Reducing flexibility in the legs may indicate arthrosis of the knee joint.Those who used to be able to touch the heels of the buttocks, standing on one leg, but can go half the way today, should consult a doctor.Thigh muscles can begin to work more difficult than before, due to knee arthrosis, becoming shorter, and begin to hurt.These muscles need to be stretched and strengthened to restore previous functions.
Another sign of arthrosis of the knee joint is the decrease in muscle strength in the legs.
Arthrosis turns cartilage, which is smooth as glass into a rough fabric that looks like sandpaper in the early stages.When these surfaces rub on each other you can hear the creak and the sounds of friction in the joint.
How is arthrosis of the knee diagnosed?
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee will begin with a medical examination by a doctor.Before taking, determine what pain arises to help the doctor make the correct diagnosis.In addition, find out if someone has arthritis in your family.
Your doctor may prescribe additional diagnosis, including:
- magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans X-rays that can show bones and cartilage damage, as well as the presence of bone spurs;
- MRI can be ordered when X-rays do not give a clear cause of joint pain or when the X-rays show that other types of joint tissue can be damaged.Doctors can use blood tests to exclude other conditions that can cause pain, such as rheumatoid arthritis, another type of arthritis caused by impaired immune system.
How is arthrosis of the knee joint treated?
The main tasks of treating osteoarthritis of the knee joint are pain relief and the return of mobility.
Treatment plan, as a rule, includes a combination of the following actions:
- Weight loss.The loss of even a small amount of weight, if necessary, can significantly reduce the pain in the knee from osteoarthritis.
- Exercise.Strengthening the muscles around the knee makes the condition of the joints more stable and reduces the pain.Stretching exercises help keep the knee joint mobile and flexible.
- Anesthetic and anti -inflammatory drugs:Acetaminophen, ibuprofen or Sodium.If medicines do not bring relief, your doctor can give you a prescription of another anti -inflammatory drug to help relieve pain.
- Injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid in the knee.Steroids are powerful anti -inflammatory drugs.Hyaluronic acid is usually present in the joints as a type of lubricant, but with diseases of the joints it is categorically lacking.
- Alternative treatment methods.Some alternative methods of treatment that can be effective include: capsaicin creams, acupuncture, or additives, including glucosamine and chondroitin.
- Using devices such as brackets.There are two types of brackets: those that unload the braces, thereby removing weight from the side of the knee;and “support” brackets that provide support for the entire knee.
- Physical activity and labor therapy. If you have problems with everyday activities, physical exercises or labor therapy can help.Physiotherapists will teach you how to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility in the joint.Specialists will compose a set of exercises suitable for you to perform at home in order to reduce pain.
- Surgery.When other methods of treatment do not work, surgery is the only option for getting rid of the disease.
Is surgery used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee?
For the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee with the help of surgical intervention, the following options are possible: arthroscopy, osteotomy, endoprosthetics.
AtarthroscopyA small telescope (arthroscope) and other small tools are used.The operation is carried out through small incisions.The surgeon uses an arthroscope so that the joint can be seen.After the surgeon can remove cartilage or damaged free particles, he can clean the surface of the bone.The procedure is often used on patients aged 55 (and younger) in order to delay a more serious operation.
Osteotomy- This is a procedure that seeks to align the knee, changing the shape of the bones.This type of operation can be recommended if you have damage, first of all, in one area of the knee.It can also be recommended if you damaged your knee and it has not been restored.Osteotomy does not have a constant effect and surgery may be required in the future.
Endoprosthetics- This is a surgical procedure in which the joints are replaced by artificial parts of metals or plastic.Replacement may include one side or all knee.As a rule, people over the age of 50 and a severe form of osteoarthritis need replacement.The operation may be required later, if the replacement wears out after several years, but with modern achievements, most prostheses have been serving for more than 20 years.The operation has risks, but the results are usually very good.