Arthrosis (Greek: arthr) is a group of diseases that damage the joints of the human body.
The left side of the photo of a healthy person.On the right, a person with severe arthrosis in the right hip joint.It can be seen that the channel is completely closed.Severe pain appears and the patient cannot stand up.
There are more than 100 different forms of osteoarthritis.The most common form, osteoarthritis (damage to the articular ends of articulating bones) is the result of joint trauma, joint infection, or age-related factors.
Other forms of osteoarthritis include rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism), gout, psoriatic arthritis and related autoimmune diseases.Septic arthrosis occurs due to joint infection.All forms have a common symptom - joint pain.
Symptoms
All types of arthrosis are accompanied by pain, the nature of which determines its type.It is characterized by redness of the skin, limited mobility in the knee joint and changes in its shape.Disease-prone joints often crack unnaturally when stressed.The patient may have difficulty in cases where it is necessary to undergo physical activity.
Elements of the medical history determine the diagnosis.Important elements are the time of onset and the rate of development of the disease, the presence of immobility in the morning, pain, "locking" of the joint due to inactivity, etc.For a more accurate diagnosis, radiography and tomography are used.
Causes of arthrosis
Osteoarthritis pain occurs due to inflammation that occurs around the joint.Joint damage due to disease, daily wear and tear, muscle tension.Joint pain is often constant.Pain can be localized in the affected areas.
Classification of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is divided into primary and secondary.There are 4 degrees of arthrosis:
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint first degree - softening of the cartilage appears, it can be felt on the surface of the knee.Not seen on x-ray.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint the second degree - the cartilage begins to wear out and in the photo you can see a narrowing of the joint space.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the third degree - osteophytes appear, treatment is more difficult.Hard to distinguish from the second degree.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 4 degrees - bones come into contact with each other, osteophytes grow and distortion of the joint occurs.
Arthrosis of the patellofemoral joint
Patellofemoral osteoarthritis is damage to the cartilage between the kneecap and the femur.Unlike other types of knee OA, which occur on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral) of the knee and cause difficulty walking on flat surfaces, patellofemoral osteoarthritis causes pain in the front of the knee when sitting down and rising from a sitting position.In this case, the knee helps a lot.Patients who wore the brace daily were noted to have significantly less joint damage on MRI and a decrease in knee pain.
Prevention and treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint
Osteoarthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis, cannot be completely cured without surgery, but measures can be taken to prevent the condition from worsening.Weight management is key to improving symptoms and preventing disease progression.For osteoarthritis, physiotherapy is indicated to strengthen muscles and joints.In particular, ESMA devices are effective for its treatment.Patients also require drug treatment.When the disease progresses rapidly and the pain is constant, surgery may be suggested.Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis benefits from joint replacement for many people.There are synovial injections - injections of intra-articular fluid.They allow the patient to be free from pain for 8 months, after which the procedure is repeated.Treatment with bee venom is also effective in relieving pain.
X-ray of the knee with an artificial prosthesis after joint replacement surgery.
Prevention of arthrosis
It includes a variety of procedures: massage, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, herbal preparations, dietary supplements, aromatherapy, heat and cold treatment, health exercises, diet.
According to statistics, today more than 43 million Americans experience pain when bending their knee.According to statistics, this is one of the main causes of disability in the country.About 1 in 7 Americans suffer from it.With age, the likelihood of developing arthrosis increases.