Which means the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee"
It is the condition by which the cartilage is deformed and destroyed. The cartilage, being dense fabric, plays a role damper on any joint is necessary for its movement. With the destruction of cartilage tissue of the joint, gradually he loses the mobility, and if the disease is not treated, if not it stops working. However, in the early stages of osteoarthritis it is perfectly treatable with the help of medications and physical therapy.
To purpose of Approximately 12% of young people suffer from a degenerative disease, and the age of retirement, this figure is above one-half, one-fourth of older people complaining of the symptoms of this disease.
Women suffer from osteoarthritis) more often than men.
In the group of risk also include those active athletes training and micro-lesions of the cartilage, often lead to limiting the mobility of joints at an early age.
There is also evidence that in osteoarthritis there is a certain genetic predisposition. If in the family there have been cases of this disease, should carefully monitor the state of the joints.
The cause of the disease
The causes of the development of osteoarthritis of the knee is a lot. Them concern:
- the injuries and micro-injuries of the joints;
- the excess of weight is the excess of load in the knee joint;
- the metabolic disorders, the cartilage tissue suffers from a lack of essential nutrients;
- the imbalance of the load of the physical in the work, or too intense training sessions;
- failures in the operation of the system of the circulation of the blood, which breaks the power supply in the cartilage tissue;
- long spasms of the vessels of the legs. The degree of osteoarthritis of the knee and the symptomatology
Osteoarthritis of the knee develops gradually.Therefore, we distinguish various degrees of this disease.
1 degree. At this stage, the changes are still mild and can even be determined in the instruments of the surveys. In the development of osteoarthritis indicate symptoms such as the low stiffness of the joint after a long period of immobility (often — in the morning) and the popping in the knee joint during the sudden movement. It expresses the pain usually there is not, therefore, people often ignore these signs and go to the doctor only when the osteoarthritis of the knee reaches the 2nd phase.
2 the degree of Joint deformation, in x-ray remarkable narrowing of the joint cleft, and the deformation of the cartilage. The symptoms become evident — the patients complain of constant pain, which increases at the beginning of the movement, limitation of mobility, a great stiffness by the morning. Small efforts (for example, lifting of goods) may also cause the pain. Sometimes, the skin over the joint blushes a little swollen and warm to the touch — it says in the development of the inflammatory process. The osteoarthritis of the knee of grade 2 patients report strengthening pain at the change of time, or after the hypothermia.
3 grade. Heavy osteoarthritis of the knee is characterized by severe pain on all movements, lameness, sometimes remarkable shortening of the limb. The area of the joint strongly swollen, and by the morning, the man simply can't get out of bed — sometimes we have to wait half an hour before the mobility part will re-appear. The 3rd grade of the osteoarthritis of the knee cartilage a lot of tapers, and in some place is ruined at all, since the bones are in contact with each other.
4 grade. The complete destruction of the cartilage, excruciating pain and immobility is what you can get, if you ignore the signs of osteoarthritis until the last. Joint of the slit disappears and it starts the deformation of the bones. The diagnosis as the first step of the treatment
If the disease is suspected, you should immediately make an appointment with an orthopedic physician, who will diagnosis.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis includes laboratory and techniques.
The first relate to general and biochemical analysis of the blood, as well as a urine analysis. These analyses allow for the exclusion of autoimmune diseases, might cause injury in the joints, to determine the existence of inflammation.
Of tools of methods of diagnosis of osteoarthritis is most frequently used simple x-ray in two projections, ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging.
Methods for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee
Osteoarthritis of the knee is cured, but the prognosis will be more favorable if you begin treatment as soon as possible 1 to 2 nd stage of the disease. Treatment methods a lot, but only the comprehensive treatment gives the desired result.
Among the most effective methods for — shock wave, therapy with drugs, traction on the joint, intra-articular introduction of medications, muscle toning and therapeutic exercise (physiotherapy).
The drug therapy
Helps to combat only the symptoms of the disease.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents
the inflammation and the pain.
chondroprotectors
stimulate the nutrition of the articular cartilage. As a supplement is widely used ointments and gels with analgesic effect, as well as the exterior of the tool to relieve the inflammation and improves microcirculation of the blood.
Uht
Shock wave therapy is a method in which the treatment effect is achieved by the influence of the sound waves that have changed the fabric of the joint. It is relatively painless, however, allows to achieve impressive results — to remove the pain, to destroy and put to soak the calcium deposits (osteophytes), improve the metabolic processes in the tissues, lead to the normal blood flow and relieve the swelling, speaking the language of the common people — "clean up" the joint. The effectiveness of the treatment reaches up to 90%.
Lfk
Therapeutic exercise, virtually, an essential part of the therapy of the osteoarthritis of the knee. kinesitherapy is a special exercise carefully undertaken of the burden, treatments and exercises to be done with the help of medical simulators. Lfk allows you to return the joint mobility, improve the blood supply, develop, and strengthen ligamentous apparatus.
Apply traction to the joints
Traction, or applying traction of the joints, is held in a brace. This method extends to the joint and expands to articulate the slit, in consequence, reduces the friction of the articular surfaces and the joint disease is download. The positive effect was observed in 80% of cases.
Intra-articular punctures
It is performed to drain excess synovial fluid, as well as for the introduction of anti-inflammatory drugs, pain relievers, and improve blood supply in the articular cartilage of drugs, etc
It is worth to talk about this method, as the injections own plasma of the patient to articulate the exchange of growth factors, which are found in the plasma. They speed up the recovery and regeneration of damaged articular cartilage. The advantage plazmolifting is that the plasma itself is not an allergy, it is a biological insurance stimulating regeneration. Through 2-3 months after a course of plazmolifting patients indicate that the pain and stiffness are reduced by half, and the mobility of the joint has improved.
Muscle toning
The method of treatment based on stimulation of the muscles microcurrents. The osteoarthritis of the knee occurs an atrophy of the muscles of the hip, it disrupts its blood supply. This greatly increases the load on the joints.
Muscle toning helps to strengthen these muscles, therefore, the overload of the joint, improve the circulation of the blood, to form a robust frame of the joint.
The surgical intervention
arthroscopic debridment. The method, aimed at the elimination of the articulation of the elements of the reconstruction of the cartilage, the part of the meniscus. The surgery is performed under the control of the video camera. The arthroplasty. If the joint is totally destroyed, you can replace only artificial. Replacement, recur only in the most severe cases — in the third or fourth stage of the disease.
The new articulation of the duration of 12-15 years. For the timely diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee is important not to pull to the last and not to postpone the visit to the doctor, doing self-medication and application of medication without a prescriptions.
Osteoarthritis develops slowly, some people, however, among the first signs of the disease and the time to save the joint may only the operation, just spend a few years here, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body. In most cases, the early diagnosis and an integrated approach to treatment we are able to cut the symptoms of osteoarthritis and to restore the joint.