There are many types of arthrosis.For example, the disease of the hip joint is called coxarthrosis, and the disease of the knee is called gonarthrosis.
The treatment method is usually the same for all subtypes.Nevertheless, many people do not know the difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis of the knee joint.
On this basis, many incorrect uses of these terms have appeared among patients with the problem.
Reasons
Gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee joint that is associated with damage to the cartilage tissue.Many people mistakenly believe that the disease is only characteristic of older people, as it is degenerative.But as practice shows, gonarthrosis appears more often in young people.
This is confirmed by the causes of the disease:
- knee injuries (fractures, dislocations, cracks);
- weight lifting, vigorous physical activity without proper training;
- inflammation of the joints due to exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
- excess weight, as this leads to a high load on the joints and subsequent degeneration;
- genetic predisposition.
As you can see, all factors of the appearance of gonarthrosis are more typical for young people, as they lead an active lifestyle.
Although the disease can also appear in retired people due to excess weight.According to statistics, after 50 years, gonarthrosis occurs more often in women.This is due to the restructuring of the body and changes in metabolic processes.
Principles and types of treatment
Arthrosis is usually a chronic disease, so their treatment takes a long time.Therapy can be surgical or conservative.
With both the first and second methods, doctors try to somehow influence the cause of the disease, as well as eliminate pathological symptoms.
It should be noted that surgical intervention is more typical for arthrosis 3-4.On the fourth, it is inevitable, and on the third, you can still try to fight the disease with conservative methods.
In addition, it is recommended to use special gymnastic exercises, for example, the Bubnovsky technique.
In addition to the destruction of cartilage by gonarthrosis, muscle fibers and ligaments are also prone to destruction.The purpose of the treatment:
- pain relief;
- elimination of inflammation;
- removal of edema of the periarticular area;
- stopping the destruction of cartilage, restoring it completely or partially;
- to return to full life and freedom of movement.
Even in cases where a person cannot completely cure knee arthrosis, through therapy and prevention, he can partially return to a normal lifestyle.The condition persists until the next relapse.
Conservative method
This therapeutic method is used in most cases and is the main one.As a rule, patients are treated in this way in the initial and middle stages of gonarthrosis.All measures involve the use of drugs with chemically active substances (tablets, capsules, injections).
The following can be prescribed for treatment:
- analgin;
- chondroprotectors;
- non-steroidal drugs;
- joint prostheses;
- glucocorticosteroids.
Other conservative methods include various ointments, mud baths, etc.
Recently, gymnastics and light exercise have become very popular to stop the course of the disease or the possible recovery of the patient.
The body reacts strongly to non-steroidal drugs.Nevertheless, due to their multifunctional effect, they are widely used in the treatment of arthrosis:
- elimination of swelling in the joint;
- pain relief;
- treatment of inflammatory processes.
Because of these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional pain relievers.
Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic drugs that can replace the natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.If we compare them with non-steroidal drugs, glucocorticosteroids are much stronger.They also have an anti-allergenic effect.
Chondroprotectors act directly on the cartilage and are a completely safe treatment for knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis).It is obtained from the bone structure of animals, fish cartilage and crustacean shells.Medicines are building materials for cartilage, improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition of the joint.
In addition to the use of medicines, the following are prescribed during treatment, recovery and prevention:
- Physiotherapy;
- physiotherapy;
- various massages;
- visiting sanatoriums and resorts.
All this allows the patient to return to normal life and records the result obtained with conservative treatment.
Plus, the hours are simple.A very useful exercise for the gonarthrotic knee joint is to roll a ball or other cylindrical object on the floor with your foot, such as a rolling pin.
Surgical intervention
If it is not possible to cure the disease with drugs or therapeutic exercises, then surgery is required.It can be performed on both open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are being developed every day, and new methods and modern tools are being added to the previous ones.
The new ways to perform operations are:
- microsurgical intervention to restore damaged cartilage tissue;
- treatment with a laser beam with the necessary characteristics - thickness, power, etc.;
- Creating a 1 mm thick electrolytic plasma field;
- arthroscopy;
- endoprosthesis - replacement of parts of the joint with artificial prostheses.
Modern surgical methods cause low trauma and allow many different manipulations of the joint.
Recipes of traditional medicine
Conservative treatment methods do not always give the maximum result in the treatment of gonarthrosis.Recipes from traditional medicine can be used as additional remedies.
To eliminate knee pain and crunch, you can use the following recipe:
- 150 g of garlic;
- with the peel of 4 lemons;
- 250 g celery root.
Grind all the components in a meat grinder, mix and pour boiling water.Then put it in a pan, cover it tightly and refrigerate.Take 60-70 g three times a day for a month.If pain occurs, you can repeat the course or do it every six months for prevention.
You can also use this recipe:
- beat two eggs and mix with 4 tablespoons of salt;
- Apply the mixture to a bandage and apply to the painful area.
The procedure must be repeated twice in a row.Do not remove the bandage until the mixture dries.
To make a medicinal ointment, you will need the following ingredients:
- 200 g of alcohol;
- 4 egg whites;
- 50 g of camphor;
- 50 g of mustard powder.
Add mustard and camphor alternately to the alcohol.Beat the egg whites in another bowl and mix.The ointment is applied to the painful area.
Of course, the heavy physical activity of athletes is as common a cause of gonarthrosis as the aging of the joints over time.
Recently, however, cases where the disease occurs without such underlying causes have become more and more common.On the contrary, people lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain extra pounds.
The load on the joints increases and prevents them from staying healthy for a long time.
The difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis
Not everyone understands the difference between gonarthrosis and arthrosis of the knee joint.Gonarthrosis is characterized only by injury to the knee, while arthrosis itself is the name of a group of joint diseases that can affect any joint.
In the theory of medicine, there are many diseases whose names contain the part "arthrosis" - osteoarthrosis, polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis, gonarthrosis.In this regard, ignorant people do not always correctly understand the meaning of each, thinking that they are all synonymous.
Gonarthrosis can easily be confused with the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- vascular pain in the knee;
- periarthritis - inflammation of the tendons of the knee;
- meniscus damage.
But it is still possible to distinguish gonarthrosis from these diseases.For example, damage to the meniscus (meniscopathy) is a disease that begins with sharp and unexpected knee pain after unsuccessful movement, and gonarthrosis develops and progresses over the years.If meniscopathy is not treated, pain occurs from time to time, but bone deformation does not occur.
In the case of coxarthrosis (hip joint disease), reflective pain in the knee is often felt, but the two diseases can be distinguished from each other as follows:
- in case of gonarthrosis, one can freely move the legs in the hip joint, spread them apart;
- with coxarthrosis, on the contrary, the patient can freely bend and straighten the knee;
- if you feel pain in both joints, we can assume that it is polyarthrosis.
Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints and their sudden onset, but the pain does not affect the mobility of the joints (as in the case of periarthritis) and is eliminated thanks to warming ointments.With this disease, there is swelling, high temperature and increased pain at night.
Vascular pain occurs due to circulatory disorders - this often affects young people under the age of 20.This is due to the rapid growth of the entire organism.
Thus, arthrosis is the general name of the disease, and gonarthrosis is the name indicating its location (knee).Therefore, it is correct to say "arthrosis of the knee joint" or "gonarthrosis", but not "gonarthrosis of the knee joint".And it is very possible to make an accurate diagnosis through careful research and personal observations.
Knee joint arthrosis (gonarthrosis): diagnosis and treatment
The knee joint is a wonderful flexion-extension mechanism provided to us by nature.At rest, it occurs only in disabled and morbidly obese people who have lost their ability to move.
Count how many times you move every day and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint.It is no wonder that diseases often choose him as a target.
One of these is gonarthrosis or arthrosis of the knee joint.
Causes of arthrosis of the knee joint
It is difficult to say what causes premature cartilage loss in some people.It is generally believed that a metabolic disorder is to blame, in which the metabolism of amino acids and important trace elements occurs slowly or incorrectly.
Here, however, the following reasons are to blame:
- Some immune system diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
- Ignoring ourselves: People put sports and exercise, a nutritious diet containing a full range of vitamins, amino acids and minerals somewhere far away for "later" ("I'll start on Monday, of course")
- From birth, the natural balance is disrupted - so-called hereditary causes.It's very easy to check your genetic predisposition: see what your grandparents had and ask them what their ancestors had
- Disturbed hormonal balance: such disorders affect the female body especially during periods of estrogen deficiency, which is an important hormone necessary for osteosynthesis.It is no coincidence that most victims of arthrosis are women of a wonderful mature age, when they are not old, but already wise, that is, the "over 50" threshold.
- Vascular diseases: Arthrosis is often combined with venous insufficiency, venous thrombosis and other diseases
- Mood: If you think stress just makes you feel bad, you're wrong—stress can slow your metabolism into a state of suspended animation
- A risk factor for arthrosis is excess body weight
What symptoms can be used to suspect this bad pathology?
Symptoms of gonarthrosis by stage
Each stage has its own characteristics, but the gradual development of the disease unites them:
You cannot suddenly stop walking due to pain: a sharp, sudden pain symptom in the knee most likely indicates an injury.
First stage.In the first stage, the following symptoms appear:
- Slight pain long walk, climbing stairs, etc.after.
- Stiffness after rest
- There is no deformity in the knee, but it may swell slightly due to the accumulated fluid: this phenomenon is called arthritis.Fluid can accumulate in the posterior part - in the popliteal cavity, forming a cyst, which frightened patients often mistake for a cancerous tumor.The cyst usually resolves easily after treatment with injections of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or glucocorticosteroids.
Second stage
In the second stage, the following signs can be observed:
- Increased pain after exercise and movement and the appearance of a characteristic coarse crunch
- Increased morning stiffness
- Full or even 90 degree movement is accompanied by pain, which is sometimes so strong that it becomes impossible
- Due to the onset of deformation, the bones thicken and become rough - this can be determined by touch
- Synovitis can get worse
Third stage
In the third stage, which is already defined as late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, the symptoms appear:
- Constant pain that does not go away even at night: The knee hurts and twists, especially in cold, damp weather
- Sharp decrease in range of motion: no more than 90 degrees or less
- Changes in gait: the patient begins to limp, walks slowly, with half-bent legs, ducks, climbing stairs is particularly difficult
- A severe deformation is visible due to the mixing of the axes of the joints - because of this, the legs take on the letter "X" or "O" (such signs are called hallux valgus).
- At this stage, the cartilage is usually completely destroyed and ossification (ossification) occurs in the ligaments.
- After that, the surface of the joint becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, which is why the knee looks lumpy and uneven.
- Due to the severe deformation and lack of synovial fluid, the movement of the knee becomes extremely painful
- Gradually, almost complete immobility of the knee sets in - late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment of gonarthrosis
The treatment of this disease is complex and lengthy, effective only in the first stages.In the latter case, conservative treatment only plays a role in alleviating the patient's condition.
Diagnostics.An important preliminary stage is diagnosis.
- The best way to diagnose and determine whether the pain is caused by an injury or arthrosis is an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
- Osteoarthritis is diagnosed when: degeneration or absence of cartilage tissue and a small gap between the joint and the capsule
Conservative treatment
During exacerbations, the most important condition for treatment is:
- Maintaining rest and light exercise
- Taking painkillers (in case of severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injection)
- In the third and fourth stages of arthrosis, injections with fluid to lubricate the joints are also prescribed
In the case of gonarthrosis, the following type of physiotherapy is effective:
- SWT (Shock Wave Therapy)
- electromyostimulation
- acupuncture
- magnetotherapy
- radiofrequency therapy, etc.
Rehabilitation treatment
In order to avoid contractures and even greater immobility, knee exercises must be started immediately after the acute pain subsides - for this, exercise therapy is prescribed under the supervision of a rehabilitation specialist.Long-term cyclic administration of substitutes for the natural components of cartilage - chondroprotective drugs - is also carried out.
Attention: In the third degree, arthrosis of the knee joint cannot be cured with the help of chondroprotectors.
Surgical treatment
Effective treatment of late arthrosis is only surgical - replacement of the joint that has lost its function with an endoprosthesis.
However, we must remember:
- in old age, the prosthesis heals more slowly
- Pain may occur for a year after surgery
- long-term rehabilitation with mechanotherapy and comprehensive exercise therapy is required
If the patient refuses surgery, then conservative supportive treatment is prescribed, aimed at overcoming pain and preserving the motor function of the knee.
What is arthrosis of the knee joint, which is often confused with gonarthrosis?
- During the diagnosis of gonarthrosiserrors occur as often, if not more frequently, than in the diagnosis of hip joint disease.
- The diseases that are most often confused with arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) are listed below.
- from the practice of Dr. Evdokimenko,Most often, arthrosis of the knee joint is confused with the following diseases:
Damage to the meniscus (meniscopathy) and blockade of the knee joint
Meniscal injuries and knee blockages occur in all age groups, both young and old.Men and women are affected equally often.Usually one knee joint is damaged.
Unlike gonarthrosis, the disease develops rapidly.Usually, after an unsuccessful movement during walking, running or jumping, a person hears a knee pop and feels acute pain in the joint.After 10-15 minutes, the acute pain subsides a little and the person can move.But the next day or two, the knee swells and the pain comes back.
Without proper treatment, the disease continues for years - the pain either subsides or reappears.Compared to gonarthrosis, however, meniscopathy rarely causes deformation in the bones of the knee joint - unless damage to the meniscus triggers the development of knee arthrosis.And this, it should be noted, also happens often.
Arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis)
The diagnosis of "gonarthrosis" is often mistakenly made for "called" pain, which often occurs with arthrosis of the hip joint and spreads from the hip joint to the knee.
But these conditions are very easy to distinguish - with arthrosis of the hip joint, the mobility of the knee does not decrease at all, the knee bends and straightens easily and painlessly.
But the ability of a person with arthrosis of the hip joint to rotate the leg "from the hip" and spread the legs to the side is sharply reduced.
A person with gonarthrosis, on the contrary, easily rotates the leg away from the hip and easily spreads the leg to the side.But he struggles to bend his knees and crouches down in pain.
Arthritis
Knee joints are the most vulnerable joints in the human body.In addition to arthrosis and meniscopathy, the knee joints can be affected by any of the arthritis described in the second part of the book - reactive, rheumatic, psoriasis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis affects people of any age, but the disease most often occurs in young people.
In case of arthritis, one or both knees may become inflamed.
A characteristic feature of arthritis of the knee joint is the rapid onset (within 1-3 days), obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, and increased pain in the affected joint at night (at about 3-4 o'clock).In other words, the pain can be stronger at night, when resting, than when walking.With arthrosis, as you remember, the pain decreases at night.
In addition, almost all arthritis leads to inflammation of not one but several joints at the same time: in addition to the knees, the joints of the fingers and toes, elbow joints, ankle joints and heel tendons become inflamed and swollen in any combination.
Vascular pain in the knee
These pains, which occur due to poor blood circulation in the knee joints, are familiar to many people.They usually start during adolescence, during the period of active growth – because the vascular development of fast-growing adolescents often does not keep pace with the accelerated bone growth.
Once it occurs, vascular pain in the knee can accompany a person for almost his entire life.But their intensity usually decreases after 18-20 years (and does not increase with age, as in the case of arthrosis).And unlike arthritic pain, vascular pain in the knee is not accompanied by a decrease in the mobility of the knee joints.
Pain sensations are usually symmetrical, that is, they are equally pronounced in the right and left knee;they occur when the weather changes, when it's cold, when you have a cold, and after physical activity.In such cases, sufferers complain that their knees "twist".
In most cases, vascular pain in the knee can be easily eliminated by applying warm ointments, massage and self-massage (rubbing the knee vigorously), or by taking vasodilator drugs.No specific therapy is required for this condition.
Inflammation of the tendons of the knee (bursa anserina periarthritis)
It most often affects women, most often over 40 years of age.Pain usually occurs when walking down stairs or carrying heavy objects or heavy bags.If you walk calmly on a flat surface, pain is extremely rare.
The pain caused by periarthritis does not extend to the entire knee.Focus exclusively on the inside of the knee, about 3 below the point where the knees would meet when you bring your feet together.And unlike arthrosis, in periarthritis there is no restriction on the mobility of the knee;the leg bends and extends at the knee as expected, fully.