Arthrosis (Greek: arthr) is a group of diseases that damage the joints of the human body.
The left side of a photo of a healthy person.On the right, a person with severe arthrosis of the right hip.It can be seen that the channel is completely closed.Severe pain occurs and the patient cannot stand up.
There are more than 100 different forms of arthrosis.The most common form, osteoarthritis (damage to the joint ends of joint bones) results from joint trauma, joint infection, or age-related factors.
Other forms of arthrosis include rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism), gout, psoriatic arthritis and related autoimmune diseases.Septic arthrosis is caused by infection of the joints.All forms have one 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 a change in shape.Disease-prone joints often crack unnaturally when under stress.The patient may have difficulty in cases where it is necessary to undergo physical activity.
Elements of the history determine the diagnosis.Important elements are the time of onset and speed of development of the disease, the presence of morning immobility, pain, "clogging" of the joint due to inactivity, etc.Radiography and tomography are used for more accurate diagnosis.
Causes of arthrosis
Osteoarthritis pain is caused by inflammation that occurs around the joint.Joint damage due to disease, daily rubbing, muscle tension.Joint pain is often constant.The pain may be localized to the affected areas.
Classification of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is divided into primary and secondary.There are 4 degrees of arthrosis:
Arthrosis of the knee joint of the 1st degree - softening of the cartilage appears, it can be felt on the surface of the knee.Not visible on x-ray.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 2 degrees - the cartilage begins to wear down and the picture shows a narrowing of the joint space.
Arthrosis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree - osteophytes appear, treatment is more difficult.It is difficult to distinguish from the 2nd degree.
Arthrosis of the knee joint 4 degrees - the bones come into contact with each other, osteophytes increase and the joint is distorted.
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) sides of the knee and cause difficulty walking on flat surfaces, patellofemoral osteoarthritis causes pain in the front of the knee when squatting and rising from a sitting position.In this case, a knee brace helps a lot.It was observed that patients who wore braces every day had significantly less joint damage on magnetic resonance imaging and a reduction 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.Measuring body weight is key to improving symptoms and preventing disease progression.Physical therapy to strengthen muscles and joints is indicated for osteoarthritis.Especially ESMA equipment is 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 get rid of pain for 8 months, after which the procedure is repeated.Bee venom treatment is also effective in relieving pain.
X-ray of knee with artificial prosthesis after joint replacement surgery.
Prevention of arthrosis
It includes a set 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 feel pain when bending their knees.According to statistics, this is one of the main causes of disability in the country.About 1 in 7 Americans suffer from it.The probability of developing arthrosis increases with age.