The knee joint is formed by a movable “tandem” of the tibia and femur.Their lateral displacement is prevented by the patella, and easy, sliding movement is ensured by an elastic layer of durable cartilage tissue.
The thickness of “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 natural shock absorber 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 launch of a compensatory mechanism from 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 deposition of calcium salts in the ligamentous apparatus of the knee, has no independent significance and is more a consequence than a cause.
What is gonarthrosis and how to treat it?
In reality, the “starting point” should be considered a violation of the blood supply to small bone vessels and its consequence – difficulty in the trophism of cartilage tissue and its depletion.This is followed by deformation of the hyaline cartilage.The latter exfoliates, becoming covered with multidirectional cracks.Synovial fluid becomes more viscous and loses its properties as a natural “moisturizer” of cartilage 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 “cover” compensate for the loss by growing along the periphery and becoming covered with “spikes” - bone 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 arthrosis of the knee joint?
- Aging of the body and the accompanying “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 location of the bone components of the joint;
- “Failure” in the endocrine system and disharmony of hormones, metabolic imbalance.
Arthrosis is often confused with various arthritis.
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 pathogenic agents, which “results” in inflammatory diseases of the entire body.
Sometimes signs of arthritis - inflammation and swelling of the joint, swelling, pain that gets worse at night - are the result of the immune system “deploying” an active defense against the body’s own cells.
Arthrosis, being an exclusively local disease, often becomes a logical continuation of arthritis or a consequence of the gradual “wear and tear” of the joint.
Primary and secondary gonarthrosis
In orthopedics and traumatology, the types of arthrosis of the knee joint are usually distinguished depending on the reasons that gave rise to degenerative changes in the articular cartilage.
- Age-related or primary gonarthrosisknee joint often disrupts the course of relatively painless old age due to physical “wear and tear” of the cartilage tissue.Slightly more often, compared to men, women who have crossed the 40-year mark face this form of the disease.Earlier development of primary gonarthrosis threatens athletes and those with extra pounds;
- Secondary gonarthrosis– a logical continuation of a previous injury or a consequence of untimely treatment of inflammatory diseases, develops at any age.
Where is the disease hidden?
Gradually developing, gonarthrosis is localized in the inner part of the knee joint.However, the disease can “lurk” between the patella and the surface of the femur.
- Left-sided gonarthrosis often affects athletes and overweight people;
- People whose professional or sports 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, uncontrolled destruction of both knee joints in most cases leads to disability.
Aw, it hurts!
The signs of gonarthrosis of the knee joint are quite vague at the beginning of the disease, and not many people will rush to visit a rheumatologist or arthrologist if they feel pain in the knee after a long hike.
After all, a short rest and relaxation relieves unpleasant symptoms in a slightly “crunchy” knee, giving a dubious feeling of physical well-being.
In fact, the “vague” symptoms of the first stages of degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system make their timely detection and treatment extremely difficult.Deforming gonarthrosis 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 impetus to visit a doctor is often given by a dull pain in the knee and the “crunching” of rough cartilage clinging to each other;
- Gonarthrosis of the 2nd degree sets the stage for deformation of the knee joint and hinders its movements in the morning, causing the need to “diverge”.Intense, prolonged pain occurs after standing for a long time or sitting for a long time.Moderately limited mobility of the knee is accompanied by a crunching 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 acute pain caused by “joint mouse” - fragments of broken bone growths.
A deformed joint loses stability and is difficult to move.An 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 an exacerbation.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 measures listed are more likely to prevent arthrosis of the knee joints.If such a “vaccination” did not help, and worsened gonarthrosis manifests itself with inflammation and pain, you should hurry to see an orthopedist or arthrologist.
How to treat gonarthrosis?
- Stage 1.Curb inflammation and accompanying pain.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used orally, intramuscularly or intravenously will best cope with the “acute” problem.NSAIDs “sealed” in rectal suppositories will have a prolonged effect.
The use of corticosteroids is also justified - they are “delivered” directly to the diseased joint.
The local use of ointments or gels with an active anti-inflammatory component will help to 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 with 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.
- Stage 2.“Nourish” 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 by intra-articular administration of drugs.
- Stage 3.We smooth out cartilage “roughness” and reduce cartilage friction by introducing hyaluronic acid.
- Stage 4.We improve blood supply and trophism of the joint using physiotherapy.For this purpose, it is recommended to combine business with pleasure and undergo sanatorium-resort treatment.
- Stage 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 articular elements.Its primary goals:
- improving the blood supply to the joint and activating the trophism of all its components;
- increased knee mobility;
- raising the tone of all muscles of the human body.
Physical therapy sessions, at least at first, are recommended to be carried out under the supervision of a physical therapy 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 - all that can damage the soft tissues of the joint and worsen the patient’s condition.
Recipes from the green pharmacy: there are options!
Provides gonarthrosis and treatment with traditional methods:
- Option 1.Grind 120 g of garlic, 250 g of celery root and 3 lemons in a meat grinder.Place the mixture in a 3-liter jar and fill it to the top with boiling water.After keeping 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 the intake to 3 times;
- Option 2.Treat the sore joint with a mixture of 1 tbsp.l.honey and 3 tbsp.l.apple cider vinegar.Place a fresh cabbage leaf on top (lightly beat it off with a knife) or burdock (light side towards the joint).Wrap your leg in cellophane film and a soft scarf.Do it at night, up to 30 procedures.
Inevitable decision
Often severe pain and joint dysfunction threatens disability.
Then middle-aged patients, as well as young people diagnosed with arthrosis of the knee joint, require surgery.
The most common procedure is endoprosthetics.The duration of such an operation is no more than an hour, and its effect is painless functioning of the “restored” limb for at least 20 years.After time, the “loose” prosthesis will have to be replaced.