Which means a diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee"
It is a disease in which the cartilage distorted and destroyed. Cartilage is dense tissue, plays a role of shock absorber in any joint, it is necessary for its movement. During the destruction of the cartilage of the joint gradually loses mobility, and if the disease is not treated, and ceases to work. However, in the early stages of the oa is perfectly treatable with medication and physical therapy.
Moreover, About 12% of young people suffer from arthritis, and the age of retirement, this figure is above one-half and one-quarter of all older people complain of symptoms of this disease.
Women who suffer from osteoarthritis more often than men.
In the risk group are also active athletes, training, and microtrauma of the cartilage often lead to limitation of joint mobility at a young age.
There is evidence that in osteoarthritis, there is a certain genetic predisposition. If you have a family history of disease, you should carefully monitor the state of the joints.
The causes of the disease
The reasons for the development of osteoarthritis of the knee a lot. These include:
- trauma and repetitive strain injuries of the joints;
- excess weight is excess of the load on the knee joint;
- disorders of metabolism in which the cartilage tissue suffers from a lack of essential nutrients;
- the imbalance of the load when the physical work or intense workouts;
- a malfunction of the system of the circulation, in which the nutrition of the cartilage;
- long spasms of the vessels of the legs. The degree of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, and the symptomatology
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops gradually.We therefore distinguish between several degrees of this disease.
1 degree. At this stage, to change the most weak and may even weakly detected in the kit, investigations. On the progression of osteoarthritis indicate symptoms such as a low stiffness of the joint after a long stillness (often in the morning) and the creaking of the joint when sudden movements. Expressed pain is not usually, therefore, people often ignore these signs and go to a doctor that when the osteoarthritis of the knee joint reaches the 2nd phase.
2 the degree of Articulation distorted, on the x-ray images distinctly narrowing of the joint space and the deformation of the cartilage. The symptoms become obvious — the patients complain of a constant pain, which increases at the beginning of the movement, restriction of mobility, significant stiffness in the morning. A bit of exertion (e.g., lifting of loads) also cause pain. Sometimes, the skin over the articulation of blush, a little swells and becomes hot to the touch is said about the development of the inflammatory process. With osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2-th degree of the patients notice an increase in pain when the weather changes or after cooling.
3 degree. Heavy osteoarthritis of the knee joint is characterized by severe pain during all movements, lameness, sometimes significant shortening of the members. The area of the joint strongly inflated in the morning, a person just can't get out of bed — sometimes you have to wait half an hour, before the mobility is partially restored. During the 3rd degree osteoarthritis of the knee joint cartilage significantly refined, and where something collapses completely, so that the bones touch each other.
4 degree. The complete destruction of the cartilage, unbearable pain and immobility — here's what you can get, if you choose to ignore the signs of osteoarthritis until the last. Joint of the slit disappears, and begins the deformation of the bones. The diagnosis as the first step in the treatment
In case of suspicion of the disease must be immediately appointment with an orthopedic doctor, who establishes a diagnosis.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis includes laboratory and instrumental methods.
The first includes the sharing and the biochemical analysis of blood and urine analysis. These analyses allow for the exclusion of autoimmune diseases, leading to damage to the joints, to determine the presence of inflammation.
Tools of the diagnostic methods of oa are used the most often a simple x-ray in two projections, ULTRASOUND, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging.
The methods of treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee
Osteoarthritis of the knee-joint is treated, but the prognosis is the most favourable, whether to start a treatment as soon as possible, 1-2 ft on the stage of the disease. Treatment methods a lot, but only a complete treatment gives the desired result.
Among the effective methods — shock-wave therapy, traction of joints, intra-articular injection of drugs, muscle toning and physiotherapy (physical THERAPY).
Drug therapy
Helps to fight only with symptoms of the disease.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs
relieve inflammation and pain.
chondroprotectors
stimulate the nutrition of the articular cartilage. In addition widely used ointments and gels with the analgesic effect, as well as the external ways to alleviate the inflammation and improve the microcirculation of the blood.
UHT
Shock-wave therapy — a method that, the therapeutic effect is achieved by exposure to sound waves modified tissues of the joint. It is a relatively painless procedure, which, however, allows us to achieve impressive results — relieve the pain, to break up and dissolve calcium deposits (osteophytes), improve tissue metabolism, normalize blood circulation and remove swelling, the language of the inhabitants, — the "clean up" the joint. The efficiency of the treatment stands at 90%.
LFK
Physiotherapy — almost an essential part of the therapy of osteoarthritis of the knee. kinesitherapy exercises carefully counted charge, and mechanotherapy — the exercises, carried out with the help of medical simulators. The exercise enables you to restore joint mobility, improve blood circulation, to develop and strengthen the ligament apparatus.
The stretching of the joints
Traction, or stretching of the joints, performed on an orthopedic device. This method extends the common and extends to the articular slot, reducing friction of the articular surfaces and sick joint is unloaded. The positive effect is observed in 80% of cases.
Injections
Proceeding as for the pumping of excess synovial fluid, and the introduction of anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, and to improve the vascularization of the articular cartilage of drugs, etc
That is to say, about this method, as the injection of a plasma of the patient in joint bag and growth factors contained in the plasma. They accelerate the recovery and regeneration of articular cartilage damaged. The advantage of plazmolifting is that on the clean plasma can't allergies, that's for sure biological stimulating regeneration. At the end of 2-3 months after a course of plazmolifting patients indicate that the pain and stiffness has decreased to half, and the mobility of the joint is improved.
Muscle toning
The method of treatment based on stimulation of the muscles with microcurrent. With osteoarthritis of the knee joint occurs an atrophy of the muscles of the thigh, disturbed by their blood. This greatly increases the load on the joints.
The muscle toning exercises can strengthen these muscles, thus removing the load of the joint, improve blood circulation, to form a sturdy base frame of the joint.
Surgery
arthroscopic debridment. The method for the removal of the articulation of the elements destroys the cartilage, a portion of the menisci. The operation is performed under the control of the video camera. The arthroplasty. If the joint destroyed completely, then it can only replace it with an artificial one. Replacement use only in the most serious cases — the third or the fourth stage of the disease.
The new joint last 12 to 15 years. For the diagnosis in a timely manner of osteoarthritis of the knee joint is important not to pull out until the last and not to postpone a visit to the doctor, getting medication, and applying the cta to the tool.
Osteoarthritis develops gradually, however, in some people, between the first signs of the disease and the time to save the joint can only operation in a few years — it all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. In most cases, early diagnosis and an integrated approach to treatment are able to cut the symptoms of osteoarthritis and to restore the joint.