What is the meaning of the diagnosis "osteoarthritis of the knee"
It is about the disease in which the cartilage is deformed and destroyed. The cartilage, a thick cloth, plays the role of a shock absorber in every joint, he needs for his movements. In the destruction of cartilage tissue, the joint gradually loses its mobility, and if the disease is not treated, and then not work anymore. But in the early stages of osteoarthritis can be treated well with medication and physiotherapy.
By the way, About 12% of young people suffer from osteoarthritis, and in the retirement age, this number is higher by half — a quarter of all elderly complain about the symptoms of this disease.
Women suffer from osteoarthritis more often than men.
At risk are also athlete — active Training microtrauma and cartilage often lead to the restriction of the mobility of the joints at a young age.
There are data, the is osteoarthritis a certain genetic predisposition. If you have a family history of the disease, should carefully monitor the condition of the joints.
Causes of the disease
Reasons for the development of osteoarthritis of the knee a lot. These include:
- Injuries and micro-traumas of the joints;
- being overweight is an additional load on the knee joint;
- Disorders of the metabolism, in which cartilage nutrients-lack of essential;
- unbalanced load in the case of physical work or excessive intensive Training;
- the failures in work of system of blood circulation, in which a disturbed nutrition of the cartilage tissue;
- persistent spasm of the blood vessels of the legs. The degree of osteoarthritis of the knee and symptoms
The osteoarthritis of the knee develops gradually.So there are different stages of this disease.
1 degree. In this stage, changes are still insignificant, and can even mildly determined in the case of instrumental investigations. On the developing osteoarthritis, such symptoms, such as low stiffness of the joint after a long immobility (often in the morning), and crunching in the joints in case of sudden movements. Pronounced pain in the rule, so that people often ignore characters and search for the doctor, and only then, if the osteoarthritis of the knee joint achieved the 2. Level.
2 degree of joint deformation, the x-ray images joint space narrowing and deformation of the cartilage. Symptoms always clear — the patients complain about constant pain that is worse at the beginning of the movement, limited mobility, prominent stiffness in the morning. Small effort (e.g., lifting) also cause pain. Sometimes the skin over the joint is red, a little swollen and is warm to the touch — it speaks about the development of the inflammatory process. In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2. Degree patients notice the increase in pain when the weather changes or after sub-cooling.
3 degrees. Severe osteoarthritis of the knee joint due to severe pain in all movements, lameness, and sometimes a noticeable shortening of the limb. The area of the joint swells greatly, and in the morning, the man just can't get out of bed — sometimes you have to wait half an hour before the mobility of partial recovery. 3. Degree of osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the cartilage significantly thinner, and in some places even destroyed, so that the bones touch each other.
4 degrees. Complete destruction of the cartilage, excruciating pain and immobility — that's what you get when you ignore the signs of osteoarthritis to the last. Articular surface slot disappears and starts the deformation of the bone. Diagnosis is the first step of the treatment
In the case of suspected illness, you should immediately with your doctor, and an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon made the diagnosis.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis consists of laboratory and instrumental methods.
The former include the General and biochemical analysis of blood and urine analysis. These analyses allow autoimmune diseases to exclude, what to the defeat of the joints, determine the presence of inflammation.
From the instrumental methods of diagnosis of osteoarthritis are most commonly the simple x-ray in two levels, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging.
Methods of treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint
The osteoarthritis of the knee is treated, but the prognosis is most favorable when therapy as early as possible, 1-2-th stage of the disease. Therapies are many, but only the complex treatment gives the desired result.
Among the effective methods to shock-wave, drug therapy, traction of joints, intra-articular injection of drugs, muscle training and physiotherapy (exercise therapy).
Drug Therapy
Helps with symptoms of the disease.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
relieve inflammation and pain.
chondroprotectors
nutrition of the articular cartilage to stimulate. As a Supplement often, ointments and gels pain has hemostatic effect, but also the external funds for the relief of inflammation and the improvement of microcirculation.
UHT
Shock wave therapy method, in which the therapeutic effect is by the action of sound waves on the affected tissue of the joint. It is a relatively painless procedure, which, nevertheless, allows to obtain excellent results — to relieve pain, to destroy and soften Calcium deposits (osteophytes), the improvement of metabolic processes in tissues, normalize blood circulation and remove the swelling, the language of the inhabitants, — "clean" joint. The effectiveness of the treatment by up to 90%.
Movement therapy
Physiotherapy is practically a necessary part of the therapy of the osteoarthritis of the knee. kinesitherapy are a special type of exercises with carefully calculated strain and mechano-therapy — exercises, with the help of special medical training equipment. Exercise therapy for joint mobility, blood circulation to improve, to develop and strengthen the ligament.
Traction of the joints
Traction, or traction of the joints, performed on a special orthopedic apparatus. This method stretches the joint and extended joint area of the gap, as a result, the friction of the joint is reduced surfaces and the diseased joint is relieved. The positive effect is in 80% of cases.
Intra-Articular Injections
As for the pumping out of excess synovial fluid and for the introduction of medicines — anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and improve blood circulation to the articular cartilage of drugs, etc.
It is worth mentioning at this method, like the injection of your own Plasma of the patients in the joint capsule growth factors in the Plasma. You can accelerate the recovery and Regeneration of damaged articular cartilage. Advantage of plazmoliftinga is that on its own the Plasma, there is not allergies, it is a safe Regeneration of biological Stimulator. 2-3 months after the course plazmoliftinga patients indicate that pain and stiffness has decreased to half, and the mobility of the joint improved.
Muscle building
Method of treatment is based on the stimulation of the muscles, micro-current. In the case of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, atrophy of the thigh muscles, their blood supply is disrupted. This increases the load on the joints.
To strengthen muscle workout these muscles to the joint, relieve improve blood circulation, to form a robust framework for the joint.
Surgical Procedures
arthroscopic debridment. The method of removal from the joint elements of the destroyed cartilage, part of the meniscus. The Operation is under the control of the camcorder. Arthroplasty. If the joint is completely destroyed, you can replace it only by an artificial one. The arthroplasty to run only in the most serious cases — on the third or fourth stage of the disease.
The new joint is 12-15 years old. For the timely diagnosis of osteoarthritis in the knee joint, it is important not to pull and to the last do not put off a visit to the doctor, dealing self-treatment and the application of the OTC funds.
Osteoarthritis develops gradually, but in some people the first signs of the disease and the Moment, to save if the joint is only an Operation, it takes only a couple of years — it all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. In most cases, early diagnosis and a holistic treatment approach are able to stop symptoms of osteoarthritis and to repair the joint.