Osteoarthritis of the knee joint - first symptoms and treatment methods

Osteoarthritis disease has many varieties.For example, disease of the hip joint is called coxarthrosis, and disease of the knee is called gonarthrosis.

The treatment method for all subtypes is generally the same.But still, many people do not know the difference between osteoarthritis and gonarthrosis of the knee joint.

Based on this, many erroneous uses of these terms have arisen among patients with this problem.

Causes

Gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee joint leading to damage to the cartilage tissue.Many people mistakenly believe that the disease is typical only for older people, because it is degenerative.But, as practice shows, gonarthrosis appears more often in young people.

This is confirmed by the causes of the disease:

• knee injuries (fractures, dislocations, cracks);
• lifting weights, vigorous physical activity without proper training;
• joint inflammation due to exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
• excess weight, as it leads to a significant load on the joints and their subsequent degeneration;
• genetic predisposition.

As you can see, all the factors for the occurrence of gonarthrosis are more typical for young people, because they lead an active lifestyle.

However, due to being overweight, the disease can also appear in retirees.According to statistics, after 50 years, gonarthrosis occurs more often in women.This is due to the restructuring of the body and changes in metabolic processes.

Principles and types of treatment

Osteoarthritis in general is a chronic disease, so its treatment takes a long time.Therapy can be surgical or conservative.

With the first and second methods, doctors try to somehow influence the cause of the disease and eliminate pathological symptoms.

It should be noted that surgical intervention is more typical for stages 3-4 of osteoarthritis.The fourth, it is inevitable, and the third, you can always try to defeat the disease using conservative methods.

Additionally, it is recommended to use special sets of gymnastic exercises, for example, the Bubnovsky technique.

In addition to the destruction of cartilage by knee osteoarthritis, muscle fibers and ligaments are likely to be destroyed.The aim of the treatment is:

• pain relief;
• elimination of inflammation;
• elimination of edema of the periarticular zone;
• stop the destruction of cartilage, its complete or partial restoration;
• regain a full life and freedom of movement.

Even in cases where a person cannot completely cure osteoarthritis of the knee joint, he can partially return to a normal lifestyle through therapy and prevention.The condition persists until the next relapse.

Conservative method

This therapeutic method is used in most cases and is the main one.As a rule, patients are treated in this way in the initial and intermediate stages of gonarthrosis.All actions involve the use of medications (tablets, capsules, injections) containing chemically active substances.

The following may be prescribed for treatment:

• analgin;
• chondroprotectors;
• nonsteroidal medications;
• synovial prostheses;
• glucocorticoids.

Other conservative methods include treatment with various ointments, mud baths, etc.

Recently, gymnastics and light physical exercises have become very popular to stop the progression of the disease or possible recovery of the patient.

The body reacts strongly to nonsteroidal drugs.Nevertheless, they are widely used in the treatment of osteoarthritis due to their multifunctional action:

• elimination of joint swelling;
• pain relief;
• treatment of inflammatory processes.

Due to these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional painkillers.

Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic medications that can replace natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.When compared to nonsteroidal medications, glucocorticoids are much more powerful.In addition, they have an antiallergic effect.

Chondroprotectors act directly on the cartilage and constitute a completely safe treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee (gonarthrosis).They are obtained from the bone structure of animals, the cartilage of fish and the shells of crustaceans.Medicines are a building material for cartilage, they improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition of the joint.

In addition to the use of medications, during treatment, recovery and prevention, the following are prescribed:

• physiotherapy;
• physiotherapy;
• various massages;
• visiting sanatoriums and resorts.

All this allows the patient to return to normal life and fixes the result obtained with conservative treatment.

Plus, the classes are easy.A very useful exercise for the knee joint affected by gonarthrosis is to roll with your foot a ball placed on the floor or another cylindrical object, for example a rolling pin.

Surgery

If it is not possible to cure the disease with the help of medications or therapeutic exercises, then surgical intervention is necessary.This can be done on open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are improving every day and new methods are added to the previous ones, carried out using modern equipment.

New methods of conducting operations include:

• microsurgical intervention to restore damaged cartilage tissue;
• treatment with a laser beam with the necessary characteristics - thickness, power, etc.;
• creation of an electrolytic plasma field 1 mm thick;
• arthroscopy;
• endoprostheses - replacement of parts of a joint with artificial prostheses.

Modern surgical methods are minimally traumatic and allow a large number of different manipulations with the joint.

Traditional medicine recipes

Conservative treatment methods cannot always give the maximum result in the treatment of gonarthrosis.Traditional medicine recipes can be used as additional remedies.

To get rid of knee pain and cracking, you can use the following recipe:

• 150 g of garlic;
• 4 lemons with zest;
• 250 g of celeriac.

Grind all components in a meat grinder, mix and pour boiling water.Then put it in a saucepan, cover tightly with a lid and leave to cool.Take 60 to 70 g 3 times a day for a month.If pain appears, you can repeat the course or carry it out every six months as a preventive measure.

You can also use this recipe:

• beat two eggs and mix with 4 tablespoons of salt;
• Apply the mixture to a bandage and apply to the sore spot.

The procedure must be repeated twice in a row.Do not remove the dressing until the mixture is dry.

To make medicinal ointment, you will need the following ingredients:

• 200 g of alcohol;
• 4 egg whites;
• 50 g of camphor;
• 50 g of powdered mustard.

Alternately add mustard and camphor to the alcohol.Beat the egg whites in another container then mix.The ointment is applied to the sore spot.

Of course, intense physical activity among athletes is as common a cause of knee osteoarthritis as joint aging over time.

But recently, cases of illness appearing without these underlying causes have become more common.People, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain extra pounds.

The load on the joints increases and prevents them from remaining healthy for a long time.

The difference between osteoarthritis and knee osteoarthritis

Not everyone understands the difference between gonarthrosis and osteoarthritis of the knee joint.Gonarthrosis is characterized only by damage to the knee, while osteoarthritis itself is the name of a group of joint diseases that can affect any joint.

In the theory of medicine, there are many diseases whose names contain the part "arthrosis" - osteoarthritis, polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis.In this regard, the ignorant do not always correctly understand the meaning of each of them, thinking that they are all synonymous.

Gonarthrosis can be easily confused with the following diseases:

• arthritis;
• vascular pain in the knees;
• periarthritis - inflammation of the knee tendons;
• meniscal lesions.

But it is still possible to distinguish knee osteoarthritis from these diseases.For example, lesions of meniscopathy (meniscopathy) are a disease that begins with sharp, unexpected pain in the knees after unsuccessful movement, and gonarthrosis develops and progresses over the years.If meniscopathy is left untreated, pain will occur from time to time, but no bone deformity will occur.

With coxarthrosis (disease of the hip joint), reflected pain in the knees is often felt, but the two diseases can be distinguished as follows:

• with gonarthrosis, a person can calmly move his legs at the hip joint, spread them;
• with coxarthrosis, on the contrary, the patient can freely bend and straighten the knee;
• if pain is felt in both joints, then it can be assumed that it is polyarthrosis.

Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints and a sudden onset, but the pain does not affect joint mobility (as in the case of periarthritis) and is eliminated using warming ointments.With this disease, swelling, high temperature and increased night pain appear.

Vascular pain is due to circulatory disorders and often affects young people under the age of 20.This is due to the rapid growth of the entire organism.

So, osteoarthritis is the general name of the disease, and gonarthrosis is a name indicating the localization (knee).This is why it is correct to say either "osteoarthritis of the knee joint", or "gonarthrosis", but not "gonarthrosis of the knee joint".And it is quite possible to determine an accurate diagnosis through careful research and personal observation.

Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (Gonarthrosis): diagnosis and treatment

The knee joint is a wonderful flexion-extension mechanism that nature has given us.At rest, it only occurs in disabled people and overly obese people who have lost the ability to move.

Count how many times a day he makes movements and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint.It is no wonder that diseases often choose it as their target.

One of them is gonarthrosis or osteoarthritis of the knee joint..

Causes of osteoarthritis of the knee joint

It's difficult to say what causes early cartilage deficiency in some people.It is generally believed that a metabolic disorder, in which the metabolism of amino acids and important trace elements occurs slowly or incorrectly, is to blame.

Here, in turn, the following reasons are to blame:

1. Certain immune system-related diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis)
2. Self-contempt: sports and movement, a nutritious diet containing a full range of vitamins, amino acids and minerals are often put aside by distant people for "later" ("I'll start on Monday, of course")
3. From birth, the natural balance is disrupted - so-called hereditary causes.It's quite simple to check your genetic predisposition: look at what your grandparents suffered from and ask them what their ancestors suffered from.
4. Disturbed hormonal balance: such disorders particularly affect the female body during periods of deficiency of estrogen, an important hormone necessary for osteosynthesis.It is not for nothing that most of the victims of osteoarthritis are women of wonderful middle age, while they are not yet old, but already wise, that is, the “over 50” mark.
5. Vascular diseases: Osteoarthritis is often associated with venous insufficiency, venous thrombosis, and other diseases.
6. Mindset: If you think stress only ruins your mood, you're wrong: stress can slow the metabolism to a state of suspended animation.
7. A risk factor for osteoarthritis is excessive weight

What symptoms suggest this bad pathology?

Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis by stage

Each stage has its own peculiarities, but they are united by the progressive course of the disease:

You cannot suddenly stop walking because of pain: a sharp and sudden painful symptom in the knee most likely indicates an injury.

First step.In the first stage, the following symptoms appear:

• Mild pain after a long walk, climbing stairs, etc.
• Stiffness after rest
• There is no deformity of the knee, but it may be slightly swollen due to fluid accumulation: this phenomenon is called synovitis.Fluid can even accumulate in the rear part - the popliteal fossa, forming a cyst, which frightened patients often mistake for a cancerous tumor.The cyst usually disappears easily after treatment with injections of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or glucocorticosteroids.

Second step

At the second stage, the following signs are noticed:

• Increased pain after exercise and movement and the appearance of a characteristic rough cracking sound
• Increased morning stiffness
• A movement to the end or even 90 degrees is accompanied by a painful symptom, sometimes so strong that it becomes impossible to complete it
• Due to the appearance of deformation, the bones thicken and become rough - this can be determined by palpation
• Synovitis can get worse

Third step

At the third stage, already defined as late deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint, symptoms appear:

• Constant pain that does not go away even at night: the knee hurts and twists, especially in cold and humid weather
• A sharp reduction in range of motion: no more than 90 degrees, or even less
• Changes in gait: the patient begins to limp, walks slowly on half-bent legs, waddles, climbing steps is particularly difficult
• Visible severe deformation with mixing of the axes of the joints - as a result, the legs take the shape of the letter “X” or “O” (these signs are called hallux valgus).
• At this stage, the cartilage is usually already completely destroyed and ossification (ossification) occurs in the ligaments.
• Subsequently, the surface of the joint becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, giving the knee a lumpy and irregular appearance.
• Due to significant deformity and lack of synovial fluid, knee movements become extremely painful
• Gradually, almost complete immobility of the knee sets in - late deforming osteoarthritis of the knee joint

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis

Treatment of this disease is complex and long, effective only in the early stages.In the latter case, conservative treatment only plays a role in improving the patient's situation.

Diagnosis.An important preliminary step is diagnosis.

• The best way to diagnose and determine if the pain is caused by an injury or osteoarthritis is with an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
• Osteoarthritis is diagnosed if it is noted: degeneration or absence of cartilage tissue and a small space between the joint and the capsule

Conservative treatment

During exacerbations, the most important condition for treatment is:

• Maintain rest and do light exercise
• Take pain relievers (in case of severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injections)
• In the third and fourth stages of osteoarthritis, fluid injections to lubricate the joints are also prescribed.

For gonarthrosis, the following types of physiotherapy are effective:

• SWT (shock wave therapy)
• electromyostimulation
• acupuncture
• magnetotherapy
• radiofrequency therapy, etc.

Rehabilitation treatment

To avoid contractures and even greater immobility, exercises for the knees should be started immediately after the acute pain subsides - for this, exercise therapy is prescribed under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist.Long-term cyclical administration of substitutes for natural components of cartilage - chondroprotective drugs - is also carried out.

Attention: In the third degree, osteoarthritis of the knee joint cannot be cured with the help of chondroprotectors.

Surgical treatment

The effective treatment of late osteoarthritis is only surgical: it involves replacing a joint that has lost its function with an endoprosthesis.

However, we must not forget:

• at an advanced age, healing of the prosthesis is slower
• After surgery, pain may persist for up to a year
• long-term rehabilitation with mechanotherapy and comprehensive exercise therapy is necessary

If the patient refuses surgical intervention, then supportive conservative treatment is prescribed, the aim of which is to combat pain and preserve the motor function of the knee.

What is knee osteoarthritis often confused with?

• When diagnosing knee osteoarthritiserrors occur as often, if not more often, than in the diagnosis of hip diseases.
• Below is a list of diseases that are most often confused with osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis).
• From the practice of Dr. Evdokimenko,Most often, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is confused with the following diseases:

Damage to the menisci (meniscopathy) and locking of the knee joint

Meniscal injuries and knee locks occur in people of all ages, young and old.Men and women get sick equally often.Usually one knee joint is damaged.

Unlike knee osteoarthritis, the disease develops quickly.As a rule, after an unsuccessful movement when walking, running or jumping, a person hears a crunch in the knee and feels sharp pain in the joint.After 10 to 15 minutes, the sharp pain subsides slightly and the person can move.But the next day or two, the knee swells and the pain intensifies again.

Without proper treatment, the disease persists for years - the pain subsides or returns.But compared to knee osteoarthritis, meniscopathy rarely causes deformation of the bones of the knee joint, unless damage to the menisc triggers the development of knee osteoarthritis.And this, it should be noted, also happens quite often.

Osteoarthritis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis)

The diagnosis of "gonarthrosis" is often incorrectly made in cases of "referred" pain, which often occurs with osteoarthritis of the hip joint and extends from the hip joint to the knee.

But these conditions are very easy to differentiate - with hip arthrosis, knee mobility does not decrease at all, the knee bends and straightens easily and without pain.

But the ability of a person with hip osteoarthritis to rotate the leg "from the hip" and spread the legs to the sides sharply decreases.

A person suffering from knee osteoarthritis, on the contrary, easily rotates his leg from the hip and easily spreads his legs to the sides.But he bends his knee with difficulty and crouches in pain.

Arthritis

The knee joints are the most vulnerable joints in the human body.In addition to osteoarthritis and meniscopathy, the knee joints can be affected by any of the arthritis described in the second part of the book - reactive, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis affects people of all ages, but the disease appears most often in young people.

With arthritis, one or both knees may become inflamed.

A characteristic feature of arthritic inflammation of the knee joint is its rapid onset (within 1-3 days), with obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, as well as increased pain in the affected joint at night (around 3-4 a.m.).In other words, the pain at night, when resting, may be worse than when walking.With osteoarthritis, as you remember, the pain decreases at night.

In addition, almost all arthritis leads to inflammation of not one, but several joints at once: in addition to the knees, the joints of the fingers and toes, elbow joints, ankle joints and heel tendons become inflamed and swollen in any combination.

Vascular pain in the knees

These pains, caused by poor blood circulation in the knee joints, are familiar to many people.They usually begin in adolescence, a period of active growth, because vascular development in rapidly growing adolescents often does not keep up with accelerated bone growth.

Once it appears, vascular pain in the knees can accompany a person for most of their life.But their intensity generally decreases after 18 to 20 years (and does not increase with age, as is the case with osteoarthritis).And unlike arthritic pain, vascular pain in the knees is not accompanied by a reduction in the mobility of the knee joints.

Painful sensations are usually symmetrical, that is, they are equally pronounced in the right and left knees;occur when the weather changes, in cold weather, during a cold and after physical activity.At such times, sufferers complain that their knees “twist”.

In most cases, vascular pain in the knees is easily eliminated by rubbing warm ointments, massage and self-massage (vigorous rubbing of the knees) or taking vasodilator drugs.No special treatment is required for this condition.

Inflammation of the knee tendons (periarthritis of the bursa anserine)

Women are mainly affected, most often after the age of 40.The pain usually occurs when going down stairs or carrying heavy objects or heavy bags.When walking calmly on a flat surface, pain is extremely rare.

The pain caused by periarthritis does not extend to the entire knee.It focuses exclusively on the insides of the knees, about 3- below the point where the knees would touch when you bring your legs together.And unlike osteoarthritis, in periarthritis, there is no restriction of knee mobility;the leg bends and extends at the knee as intended, in its entirety.