From this article you will learn everything about arthrosis of the knee joint: what is it, for what reasons it arises, what are the manifestations at different stages.How to treat it, how to prevent a disease.
Arthrosis of the knee joint (gonartrosis) is a degenerative pathology of the joint, in which the destruction of the cartilage occurs, damage to the muscles and ligaments, and deformation of the bones.
The disease occurs mainly after 40 years (12-16% of people at this age are sick).Women get sick 2 times more often than men.Diseases are subject to athletes and people engaged in heavy physical labor.
Gonartrosis develops gradually and is accompanied by the appearance of pain in the joint:
- joint mobility decreases;
- Bone and cartilage grow, which interfere with the normal functioning of the joint.
Over time, this leads to complete immobility of the joint.Without treatment, the disease leads to disability.
Conservative therapy of arthrosis of the knee joint is possible only at the initial stages of process development (1 and 2), it allows you to slow down, suspend the development of pathology.
With the progression of the disease, treatment is only surgical.Completely (100%) to get rid of pathology can only with endoprosthetics - replacing the knee joint.
The traumatologist-orthopedist and other doctors are engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint.According to the testimony, a rheumatologist consultation is assigned.Symptoms of the disease can also be detected by a sports doctor.
Causes of the disease and types
Depending on the factor provoking the disease, 2 varieties of knee arthrosis are distinguished:
Primary (idiopathic)
This type of arthrosis affects middle -aged and elderly people.The initial stages are diagnosed after 40 years, and at the age of older than 70 years, gonarthrosis is detected in 60% of people.Often, 2 joints are simultaneously affected.
Primary arthrosis occurs due to changes occurring in the body with age, deterioration in blood circulation and slowdown in metabolism.The risk of development increases with obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
Secondary form
Secondary - can appear in a person of any age and hit both 2 joints at the same time and 1.
The reasons are:
- Strong loads on the legs.
- Injuries of ligaments, knee meniscus, intra -articular fractures.
- Diseases in which metabolic processes (disorders of the parathyroid glands, diabetes, hemochromatosis, vilson's disease, gout, mucopolysaccharidosis and other diseases) are disrupted.
- Diseases of connective tissue.
- Inflammatory pathologies (infectious and non -infectious synovitis and arthritis), hemophilia (a rare hereditary disease associated with impaired blood coagulation).
Next, we will analyze in more detail what it is - arthrosis of the knee joint, its degree, what changes begin in the tissues during pathology.
Symptoms and three stages of the disease
With the development of the disease, the cartilage begins to become thinner due to strong loads or lack of nutrients in it.This provokes the friction of bones to the knee joint.
Erosion on bone tissue is formed as a protective reaction of the body - the formation of growths on it begins.All these factors lead to deformation of the knee joint and its limited mobility.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the knee joint at 3 stages:
| Stage | Clinical signs | Processes occurring in the joint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
It can flow asymptomatic Poyality in the knees in the morning, during squats, when walking up the stairs, after long loads and hypothermias, is possible Stiffness appears in the morning in the knees Synovite can develop - an accumulation in the joint of a liquid, which must be removed using a puncture (a puncture of the cavity with a liquid and its fence) |
The cartilage surface becomes rough and dry Cracks and ulcerations are formed on it |
| 2 |
Pain appears even as a result of a slight load and become more pronounced with active walking The leg does not bent completely, the joint periodically crunches The knee visually expands The risk of synovitis increases even more |
In response to increased loads on the joint, it seems to become flat The formation of osteophytes begins - bone growths The synovial fluid becomes thicker and less nutritious Destructive processes in cartilage are accelerated |
| 3 |
Pain takes on chronic in nature and pursue the patient even at rest Both full bending and complete extension of the knee are impossible The volume of the joint increases Walking is difficult, many people begin to use crutches or a cane Valgus deformation of the legs (x-shaped legs setting) or varior deformation (o-shaped setting of the legs) may appear |
There is almost no cartilage fabric The bones are deformed and “pressed” into each other, which leads to limiting mobility in the joint |
Acute form
Acute arthrosis of the knee joint is the time when the disease progresses faster and brightly manifested clinically.
They can lead to exacerbation:
- too strong load on the joint;
- hypothermia;
- non -compliance with the prescribed diet;
- injury.
Sometimes gonarthrosis begins acutely, as if bypassing the first stage.This is possible due to injury to the knee.
Diagnostics
If you notice a constraint in the joint in the morning or after a long sitting, as well as pain when going down the stairs or squatting - this can be a sign of 1 stage of gonarthrosis.
To make an accurate diagnosis, come to an appointment with a therapist who will direct you to an orthopedist or another doctor.
Before treating osteoarthritis or gonartrosis, the doctor will conduct an initial examination and feeling of the joint, and also directs to:
- radiography - will help assess the condition of the joint;
- Ultrasound - will allow us to establish whether the concomitant inflammatory process is present.
Methods of treatment
With arthrosis of the knee joint, its symptoms and treatment are interconnected, since many therapeutic measures are aimed precisely at eliminating disturbing features and improving the quality of human life.
Reception of drugs, diet and physiotherapy exercises:
- Slow down further destructive processes in cartilage;
- prevent the transition of the disease to a more neglected stage.
It is impossible to completely cure the disease, but you can suspend, slow down the development of pathology.
Diet
The purpose of observing the diet is to slow down the further progression of the disease.
What you need to add to the menu and what to exclude:
| Useful products | Forbidden products |
|---|---|
| Rabbit, turkey, chicken, dairy products, eggs (no more than 3 pieces per day and preferably without yolks) - serve as sources of proteins |
Fatty meat, sausages, sausages - lead to an increase in body weight, which creates an additional load on the joint, and also prevents the normal formation of synovial fluid |
| Fish, especially red varieties, are rich in omega-3 |
Flour, sweet, mayonnaise, fast food - products that contribute to a set of excess weight |
| Jelly, welded from broth on bones, gelatin - contain chondroitin and collagen, which contribute to the formation of new cartilage tissue |
White cabbage, tomatoes, Bulgarian pepper, eggplant, according to some versions, contain substances that destroy collagen and chondroitin - “construction bricks” for cartilage tissue However, some studies refute their harm to arthrosis |
| Rice, millet, buckwheat have complex carbohydrates that contribute to the formation of synovial fluid |
Egg yolks, cod liver - increase the risk of gout developing |
| Cottage cheese, cheese - calcium sources |
Coffee - lenses from the body useful for bones and joints of calcium |
| Apples, broccoli, beans, pumpkin, zucchini, parsley, dill, cucumbers, carrots, celery, spinach, cereals, currants, grapefruit, grenade, papaya, almonds - the most useful products of plant origin Saturated with substances that benefit joints |
Alcohol - violates normal nutrition and metabolic processes in the joints |
| Water (1.5–2 liters per day) - helps to normalize the metabolism in the body and in the joints in particular Juices (those fruits and vegetables that are listed above) |
Salt - can lead to exacerbation |
Physical training
If you have developed the arthrosis of the knee, medical exercises should become daily.Special exercises help stimulate blood circulation in the joint, which will prevent further destructive processes in cartilage.Physical physical education will also increase the mobility of the affected knee and prevent pain.However, any gymnastics is contraindicated in the acute course of the disease.
Therapeutic gymnastics for the knee joints of Dr. Evdokimenko
The purpose of this complex of therapeutic gymnastics is to force the muscles that surround the joint without loading it.Gymnastics according to the method of Evdokimenko shows very good results with arthrosis of the knee joint.
Exercises:
- Lie on the stomach, straighten your legs, arms at the seams.Raise above the floor to a height of 15 cm straight leg, tighten the buttocks and muscles of the thigh.Hold this foot position for 30-40 seconds.Lower it.Repeat the movement with each foot 1 time.
- Raise your straight leg above the floor by 15 cm, hold it for 1-3 seconds.Return to its original position (IP).Make 10-12 repetitions for each leg.
- Bend the knee 90 degrees.Raise the bent leg to a height of 10 cm from the floor and hold it so for 30-40 seconds.Make this movement with each foot 1 time.Then repeat the same exercise, but with a delay in each leg by 1-3 seconds.Perform 10-12 repetitions of each of the legs.
- Raise two straight legs above the floor by 10-15 cm. Dilute them to the sides and take them back.Without lowering the legs to the floor, perform movements 8 times.In this case, the muscles of the thigh should work as much as possible.
- Lie on the side.Bend the lower leg into the knee.Leave the top straight, raise 45 degrees above the floor.Hold it in this way for 30-40 seconds.Perform an exercise at 1 time on each leg.
- Sit on a chair.Raise the maximum set in your knee.Keep it for 30 seconds.Raise each leg 2-4 times.
- Stand up.Lean about the back of the chair.Stand on socks.Lying for 30-60 seconds.Return to the IP.
- Stand on socks, hold out in this position for 1-3 seconds.Return to the IP.Repeat the movement 10-12 times.
- Put the right foot on the floor.Stand on the sock of the left leg.Smoothly climb the sock with your right foot, and lower the left heel to the floor.Roll up like that 10-12 times.
This author's physical education is more intensity than the previous one.It is possible only at the first signs of gonarthrosis.Before you start doing it yourself, be sure to consult your doctor.
If you feel severe pain when performing movements, stop them immediately.
Surgical methods
Since it is impossible to cure arthrosis of the knee joint with completely conservative methods, in severe cases, doctors resort to operating methods.
One of the most effective - endoprosthetics of the knee joint, that is, replacing the rubbing surfaces of the joint artificial.
The recovery period after endoprosthetics is from 3 to 6 months.
Such surgical interventions are also carried out:
- Artroplasty - plastic surgery to restore the normal structure of the joint;
- Corrective osteotomy - the correction of valgus or varus deformations of the legs, which could occur with advanced forms of arthrosis.
Folk remedies
Home manufacturing products can serve as a wonderful addition to traditional therapy.
However, before treating arthrosis of the knee joint with the use of folk remedies, consult your doctor, because some natural ingredients may have contraindications or not be combined with the drugs that you have prescribed.
Here are a few effective recipes, time -tested:
- The beef hooves and a knee - contribute to the restoration of cartilage.Boil them for several hours.Drink 100 ml of broth before each meal.
- Honey, apple cider vinegar - relieve swelling and pain.Mix the components in the proportion of 3 to 1. In the evening, make compresses, apply for 30 minutes.
- Jerusalem artichoke - helps to relieve an attack of pain.Pour 350 g of crushed leaves and topnamic stalks 2 l of boiling water.Cool to room temperature.Moisten a gauze bandage in the infusion and put on a sore joint.
Prevention
Preventive measures are very simple:
- Engage in physical education, but do not overload your knees.Never run on asphalt.Special paths or primer are suitable for running.
- Avoid injuries of the knee or treat them in time.For bruises and sprains, immediately contact the traumatologist and follow all its recommendations.
- Eat correctly.
- Refuse bad habits.
Forecast
Arthrosis is a disease that cannot be completely cured by conservative methods.
However, do not despair.Provided to comply with all the doctor’s recommendations, you can avoid complications, relieve pain and improve the amplitude of movements in the joint.
Do not postpone the visit to the specialist, since in the later stages the disease can lead to deformations of the legs and disability.Modern medicine treats them quickly.