Osteoarthritis (Greek: arthr) is a group of diseases that damage the joints of the human body.
The left side of the photo shows a healthy person.On the right is a person with severe osteoarthritis of the right hip joint.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 osteoarthritis.The most common form, osteoarthritis (damage to the joint ends of the joint bones), is the result of joint trauma, joint infection, or age-related factors.
Other forms of osteoarthritis include rheumatoid osteoarthritis (rheumatism), gout, psoriatic osteoarthritis and related autoimmune diseases.Septic osteoarthritis occurs due to a joint infection.All forms have one common symptom – joint pain.
Symptoms
All types of arthrosis are accompanied by pain, the type of which determines the type.Characterized by redness of the skin, limited mobility of the knee joint and changes in its shape.Joints that are prone to illness often crack unnaturally when stressed.In cases where physical activity is required, the patient may experience difficulties.
Elements of the medical history determine the diagnosis.Important elements are the time of onset and the speed of disease development, the presence of morning immobility, pain, “locking” of the joint due to inactivity, etc. For a more accurate diagnosis, radiography and tomography are used.
Causes of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis pain occurs due to inflammation around the joint.Joint damage caused by illness, daily chafing, muscle tension.Joint pain is often constant.The pain may be limited to the affected areas.
Classification of osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is divided into primary and secondary osteoarthritis.There are 4 degrees of osteoarthritis:
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 1st degree - softening of the cartilage occurs, which is noticeable on the surface of the knee.Not visible on x-ray.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 2nd degree - the cartilage begins to wear out and a narrowing of the joint space can be seen in the picture.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint of the 3rd degree - osteophytes appear, treatment is more difficult.Difficult to distinguish from 2nd degree.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint 4 degrees - bones come into contact with each other, osteophytes increase and deformation of the joint occurs.
Osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint
Patellofemoral osteoarthritis is damage to the cartilage between the kneecap and femur.Unlike other types of knee osteoarthritis, which occur on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral) of the knee and cause difficulty walking on flat surfaces, patellofemoral osteoarthritis causes pain on the front of the knee when squatting and rising from a sitting position.In this case, a knee brace helps a lot.Significantly less joint damage and a decrease in knee pain were observed on MRI in patients who wore the orthosis daily.
Prevention and treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint
Osteoarthritis, like rheumatoid osteoarthritis, cannot be completely cured without surgery, but steps can be taken to prevent the condition from getting worse.Weight measurement is key to improving symptoms and preventing disease progression.Physiotherapy to strengthen muscles and joints is indicated for osteoarthritis.ESMA devices in particular are effective for treatment.Patients also require medication treatment.If the disease progresses rapidly and pain is persistent, surgery may be recommended.In contrast to rheumatoid arthritis, many people with osteoarthritis benefit from joint replacement.There are synovial injections - injections of intra-articular fluid.They allow the patient to experience pain relief for 8 months, after which the procedure is repeated.Treatment with bee venom is also effective in relieving pain.
X-ray of a knee with an artificial prosthesis after joint replacement surgery.
Prevention of osteoarthritis
Includes a range of procedures: massage, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, herbal preparations, nutritional supplements, aromatherapy, heat and cold treatment, health exercises, diet.
According to statistics, today more than 43 million Americans suffer from pain when bending their knee.According to statistics, this is one of the main causes of disability in the country.Approximately one in seven Americans suffers from it.As you get older, the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis increases.