Many people complain about pains that occur in the knee.This may indicate the beginning of the development of several diseases.The most common pathology that affects knee joints is osteoarthritis, which is popularly called salts.
Absolute osteoarthritis leads to the complete destruction of the cartilage and bone exposure, as well as the formation of osteophytes and the complete deformation of the joint.This disease can turn a person into a disabled person.We will try to find out what the disease are, what are its symptoms and treatment methods.
What is the osteoarthritis of the knee joint?
The great berets and the femoral bone in the knee joint of a person are covered with joint cartilage.There is also a second type of cartilage, which forms Mestis, which acts as shock absorbers or layers.
The joint fluid provides soft movement and additional protection.The development of osteoarthritis occurs when it begins Transport tissue is damaged, protecting the bones, as a result of which its surface is exposed, and the production of joint lubrication gradually decreases.At the same time, both partial cartridges and complete loss can occur.
The manifestation of the deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint is accompanied by the destruction of its cartilage shells, and after some time, the bones and ligaments located nearby can attract the process.As a result of cartilage loss occurs Flip increase, and the articulation is deformed.
Sometimes from the outside, you can even feel bone spurs, which are a pathological growth of the bones.As happens Deformation of the surface of the bones, and they can no longer close, as expected, then a person has a limitation of the movements.
This condition is accompanied by pain.It manifests itself especially in the morning, when a person after prolonged immobility begins to move.In the end, this significantly reduces the quality of life.
Causes of the disease
What does this disease arise?Doctors identify several reasons:
- Aging and cartilage wear;
- injury;
- overweight;
- changes related to age;
- Autoimmune diseases.
In the last case, immunity begins to attack its own articular fabric, which leads to its inflammation and destruction.An example is an disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, in which simultaneous damage in both joints occurs and disability develops.
In addition, you can call the reason for the deformation of the cartilage Insufficient blood supply The femur heads.In this case, we are talking about aseptic necrosis.The degeneration of the knee joint and the displacement of the mechanical axis can occur due to the inadequate formation of the knee joint in early childhood.
Symptoms of the disease
The osteoarthritis of the knee joint is characterized by three stages of development.The first stage is manifested by weak pain, unpleasant sensations in a painful place and periodically emerging swelling.
In the second stage, the symptoms begin to intensify, a crunch appears and the movements are limited.The osteoarthritis of the third grade knee joint is accompanied constant painful sensations, while the cartilage fabric is practically destroyed.
The symptoms of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint generally manifest by pain.It can happen suddenly, but basically its development occurs slowly.A person begins to notice it in the morning, immediately after awakening.Knee pain occurs when the stairs climb, and often When walking.When changing the weather in people sensitive to Meteo, there is also pain in the knee joint.
Another symptom of osteoarthritis The swelling is, which occurs as a result of inflammation, the accumulation of excess fluid in the knee or can be associated with the formation of bone spurs.The skin in the affected place becomes red and hot.In case of chronic inflammation of the joints, pain and edema are eliminated using anti -inflammatory medications.
In addition, the symptom of osteoarthritis is Loss of stability, when a person simply cannot fold the leg in the knee or straighten it completely.The crunch that arises is explained by the fact that the amount of synovial lubrication decreases.Such crunchy sound, which appears later, causes bone spurism that, when driving, rubs each other.
During the escalation or when performing physical exercises, there are limited movements.This makes many use a cane or walkers.
The deformation of the knee joint is a very terrible symptom of osteoarthritis, since it indicates that irreversible changes in the joint have occurred, which makes a person a disabled person.The knees can be given or turned inside the other.
The principles of treatment
Having treated the common symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to understand how it is.First, it must be aimed at eliminating pain.
You need to know that just taking analgesics Just weakens symptomsBut in no way affect the course of the disease and such medications cannot restore damaged cartilage.
The treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint with drugs is carried out in the following ways:
- The use of non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs, with which pain is relieved and reduced inflammation.
- The use of medications that help restore cartilage.
- The use of ointments and creams to deform osteoarthritis.
In some cases, surgical intervention is carried out and also prescribes Physiotherapeutic procedures and physiotherapy exercises.Gymnastics with such an illness helps significantly in treatment, and the treating doctor must select the exercises.
Currently, most drugs have Many side effects And with prolonged use, the operation of organs and systems occurs.
Use of non -steroidal drugs
The treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint is carried out by non -steroid anti -inflammatory drugs.
They help relieve pain and reduce inflammation, but the long -term use of these medications is prohibited, since the resulting side effects negatively affect the intestinal mucosa and stomach, as well as the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
However, despite the fact that taking these medications is necessary for the treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint, they can reduce the production of proteoglycans and, therefore, the tissue of dehydrate cartilage.That is why such funds must be takenstrictly according to the medical recipe And only under your control.
For prolonged use, experts advise choosing Selective anti -inflammatory drugs, which have fewer side effects and do not have a negative effect on metabolism in cartilage.
Carbon recovery preparations
For nutrition and catering restoration, a constant intake of its fabrics is necessaryCondroprotectors.These substances are very important for people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
The positive effect of your reception appears only after use for a fairly long time (at least six months).Condroprotectors improve the quantity and quality of synovial fluid, as well as contribute to restoration cartilage plate.
But, despite such beneficial properties of these compounds, they should not be considered fixed assets for the treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint.For this purpose, drugs must be taken for at least a year and a half, while they cannot completely restore the destroyed cartilage.
Use of creams, ointments and compresses
The treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint provides the use of several ointments and creams.But such drugs should be considered only as an addition to the use of non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs and condoprotectors.Ugonos and creams help reduce discomfort, swelling, pain, Improve joint mobility.
This effect is explained by the fact that these products penetrate through the skin in the blood, thus improving blood circulation in the joint, accelerating metabolism in the cartilage and restoring it.
Compressing treatment.A much greater effect, compared to ointments, brings therapeutic compresses.For these purposes, a tool is often prescribed, which penetrates the fabric well and has an analgesic and anti -inflammatory effect.
The use of injections
The synovial fluid of the knee joint is very viscous, so that the fabrics do not rub each other.An important component of this lubrication is hyaluronic acid, which connects proteoglycans to normalize the cartilage tissue structure.
The level of this compound in synovial fluid in patients with osteoarthritis is reduced quite strongly, because this lubricant becomes less viscous, and friction increases.
Drug injections Based on hyaluronic acid, performed in the knee, slows down the progression of the disease, but only half of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis are reduced to a decrease in manifestation of symptoms.The course of injections is usually carried out for three weeks, and an injection is carried out every seven days.Six months later, this procedure is carried out again.
Surgical treatment of the osteoarthritis of the knee joint
If therapeutic treatment has not brought the proper effect, surgery is carried out.
It is also carried out if irreversible changes have already occurred in the knee joint.
The surgical treatment is of two types:
- Arthrodesis
- Prosthesis.
With arthrodesis, the joint is immobilized, due to which pain is eliminated.Prosthetics is a more modern method, which consists in the fact that with the help of special prostheses, a complete or partial Damaged joint replacement.
Therefore, the osteoarthritis of the knee joint is an insidious disease of its consequences, since a person can become a disabled person.It can be avoided if you eat well, Direct a healthy lifestyle And control your weight.Thanks to such simple rules, you can never know about the existence of osteoarthritis of the knee joint.