Osteoarthritis of the knee (gonarthrosis) is a disease that causes deformation of the cartilage of the knee joint. This disease is very common, especially among the older generation. The work of the knee deteriorates, and therefore difficulties in its mobility and pain sensation are the main signs of the disease. Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is now widespread even in people aged 25-30 years. What speaks for the versatility of the causes of the disease and, accordingly, its treatment. >There are two types of osteoarthritis of the knee: unilateral (affects only one knee) and bilateral (affects both knees). More often the disease occurs in its bilateral manifestation.
The reasons
Gonarthrosis, like coxarthrosis, most often manifests itself in old age. Although today there is no exception and the fact that young people have symptoms of this disease. This suggests that the causes of osteoarthritis of the knee are different, and each in its own way can affect the occurrence, aggravation and treatment of the disease. There are also ways of genetic predisposition of an organism, ie. Osteoarthritis of the knee may be more common in certain families than others. In addition, this disease may not be genetic. Therefore, there are several causes of gonarthrosis.
- Various physical injuries to the knee (bruise, dislocation, etc. ).
- Large loads that do not correspond to age (5-7% of all cases of gonarthrosis, as well as coxarthrosis).
- Patient overweight (10% of all cases of osteoarthritis of the knee).
- Associated diseases, for example arthritis (5-7% of all cases of gonarthrosis, polyarthrosis and coxarthrosis).
- Congenital ligament weakness (3-5% of cases of gonarthrosis).
- Metabolic syndrome and metabolic problems in the body.
- Spasms of the thigh muscles (up to 50% of cases of gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis).
symptoms
The symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint are usually the same and occur in almost all patients. Patients also note that the aggravation of pain falls on the spring-autumn period and depends on weather changes. The main symptom of the disease is knee pain. Most often it does not appear immediately, but only becomes noticeable after a long walk and appears in the late afternoon. Chime can cause stiffness in the knee when moving. If minor symptoms are left unnoticed, the disease can be triggered and lead to extremely undesirable consequences for the patient. Despite the main symptoms, there are several other signs of the disease:
- pain syndrome at rest, which qualitatively decreases when walking;
- limitation of movement of the knee joint and difficulty controlling its mobility;
- stiffness of the knee;
- increased sensitivity in the knee area;
- swelling in the knee joint and swelling of the skin around it;
- Deformity of the knee joint.
The assessment of the condition of the knee joint is carried out during a medical examination and an X-ray. In addition, the stage of the disease of any arthrosis (including coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis, polyarthrosis and others) can only be determined if there is an X-ray, and only a doctor can assess such a disease. Therefore, it is extremely important not to engage in self-diagnosis and not to jump to conclusions.
degrees of gonarthrosis
1 degree
The knee joints did not succumb to the deforming influence of the disease, but showed themselves only by external signs and a slight swelling of the periarticular skin, changes in their color are noticeable. At the physiological level, it is characterized by minor changes in hyaline cartilage. As a result of the accumulation of a significant amount of synovial fluid in the synovium, there are minor joint deformities, which are accompanied by pain when walking. Other signs such as reduced mobility are not observed. And that's why it's difficult to track them on the X-ray. In this degree, the disease is difficult to diagnose, but with a quick definition, its treatment is more effective than in gonarthrosis of another or third degree, as well as other types of arthrosis (coxarthrosis, polyarthrosis).
II degree
The main symptom is excruciating or severe pain, even with minor exertion, which is aggravated by walking and lifting weights. Over time, this will lead to difficulty bending the knee. At the physiological level, this is expressed in the fact that the volume of the cartilage layer decreases sharply, and in some places it is completely absent. According to the X-ray results, this degree can be determined by the marginal bone growths and the density of the joint space. At work of the joint, especially during a long walk, a characteristic crunch appears. Gradually, the patient may lose the ability to bend the knee, or it is given to him with great difficulty. The deforming effect is already evident in this stage of development of gonarthrosis and other types of arthrosis (coxarthrosis, polyarthrosis). This is noticeable visually, the skin around it becomes rough and discolored. Treatment at this stage is better to start complex and intensive. Both drugs and traditional methods of treatment will be relevant here.
III. Degree
It is characterized by severe pain even when the knee joint is inactive or immobilized. The deformation effect is very noticeable and one can visually notice significant changes in the structure of the joint and adjacent tissues. At the physiological level, it is characterized by the absence of cartilage tissue, which is easy to diagnose on an x-ray. The treatment of the III. Degree of arthrosis of the knee joint and other types of arthrosis (polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis) is actually an irreversible process. Rather, the main goal of such treatment is to relieve pain and eliminate some of the symptoms of the manifestation of the disease.