Arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) is much more common than other diseases of this type. With it, degenerative processes occur in the hyaline cartilage, leading to its premature wear. During the development of gonarthrosis, there is a thinning, opacity and exfoliation of the cartilaginous tissue. Cracks appear in it, and over time, the pathological process leads to the complete destruction of the cartilage and the exposure of the bone underneath.
After this, the bone is covered with a sclerotic seal. In the future, its growth is possible with the formation of spike-like protrusions and deformation of the joint. The process of development of gonarthrosis begins with a violation of normal blood circulation in the vessels of the bone, as a result of which a pathological change in cartilage is observed. With this disease, calcium salts are often deposited in the ligaments and tendon attachments.
Causes and symptoms of gonarthrosis
According to statistics, women most often suffer from this disease. As a rule, it begins to develop after 40 years. The main causes of gonarthrosis:
age-related changes;
various knee injuries;
inflammation of various etiologies;
constant and heavy stress on the joint.
This disease can be significantly complicated by overweight or varicose veins.
The symptoms of gonarthrosis develop gradually. The first signal of the onset of this disease is minor pain in the knee that occurs while walking. The pain increases when going down or up stairs, the first steps after moving from a sitting to an upright position. Most often, the pain in the supine or sitting position subside. Already at this stage, treatment of arthrosis of the joints is necessary , if this is not done, the following symptoms appear:
persistent, persistent, intense pain, most often localized on the inside of the knee;
accumulation of synovitis (abnormal fluid in the knee) leads to joint swelling;
the appearance of a characteristic crunch when the joint moves;
difficulty bending and extending the knee;
persistent pain even in a calm state;
deformation of the joint;
unsteady gait.
Treatment of gonarthrosis
Therapy for this disease should be comprehensive. Treatment is determined by the stage of its development. It can be conservative and operational. The basis of conservative therapy is unloading the diseased joint and rest. With continued stress on the knee, no treatment will be effective. Surgical treatment is most often carried out with advanced arthrosis.
During the treatment of gonarthrosis, they try to remove the accompanying negative factors such as overweight and physical activity. To eliminate joint inflammation and pain syndrome, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Often, drugs containing cortisone are injected into the affected joint. For treatment, drugs such as "Hydrocortisone", "Kenalog", "Flosteron", "Diprospan", "Celeston" are used. They are prescribed in the acute period of the disease in short courses.
In order to replace the synovial (joint) fluid, injections of hyaluronic acid are used, which slows down the development of arthrosis. To prevent the destruction of cartilage, chondroprotectors are taken, which improve metabolic processes and slow down the destruction of joint tissues. These include the following drugs: Ostenil, Chondroitin, Alflutop, Movex, Fermatron, Triaktiv, Teraflex, Structum, Hialubrix, Advance, Gialgran. The course of treatment can last 3-4 months.
Surgical (operative) intervention is carried out in severe gonarthrosis. In this case, osteotomy (elimination of deformity by dissecting the bone), partial or total arthroplasty of the joint can be performed.
Physiotherapeutic procedures (electrophoresis, UHF) and therapeutic exercises are very effective in this disease. As an additional therapy, acupressure, acupuncture, herbal medicine can be used.