gonarthrosis

Most often, the disease occurs in elderly patients (especially women). Joint pain with gonarthrosis is due to dystrophic changes in the cartilage, which covers the intra-articular surfaces of bones. First, blood circulation in the vessels that feed the cartilage worsens. Then the cartilaginous lining begins to thin, completely erased. The bones inside the knee joint are exposed. As a result, when walking, they rub against each other, intense pain occurs.

Over the years, bony growths begin to appear in the joint. They provoke the development of deformation, the leg is bent.

Causes of gonarthrosis

Knee joint gonarthrosis occurs for several reasons. It is customary to distinguish two of its forms:

• primary;
• secondary.

Primary gonarthrosis usually develops in older people. Its occurrence is due to:

• disturbances of metabolic processes;
• obesity;
• hereditary predisposition;
• taking hormonal medications.

The primary form affects two knee joints at the same time and is called bilateral gonarthrosis. But there are cases when the inflammatory process first covers one knee and only after a few years does it move to the second.

Secondary gonarthrosis, on the other hand, is always unilateral. Is called:

• heavy physical work and sports, putting a load on the right or left knee joint;
• trauma (ligament rupture, dislocation, hemorrhage in the knee joint cavity, meniscus injury, intra-articular fracture, etc. ).
• operations performed on the knee joint;
• joint inflammation/swelling.

gonarthrosis symptoms

Common symptoms of gonarthrosis of the knee joints include:

• severe knee pain when moving;
• knee dysfunction;
• swelling in the knee joint;
• lameness
• joint stiffness;
• instability in the affected joint.

Deformation (curvature) of the leg is also characteristic of the later stages of the disease.

In most cases, gonarthrosis develops slowly and proceeds through four successive stages.

First-degree knee joint gonarthrosis is characterized by the following features:

• Unexpressed pain in the knee when going up/down stairs, during squatting.
• "Initial" pains at the beginning of the movement.
• Mobility restriction.
• Disappearance of discomfort when the patient "diverges".
• Knee pain after heavy physical exertion.
• The knee looks healthy or slightly swollen.
• There may be manifestations of synovitis (inflammation of the inner lining, due to which fluid begins to form in the joint).

Bilateral second-degree knee joint gonarthrosis has the following symptoms:

• The pain becomes more intense.
• Discomfort sharply increases during squats, walks.
• The pain is located on the inside of the knees and gradually disappears during rest.
• Crunch on the knees.
• The joint expands, fluid begins to accumulate inside it (synovitis).
• Intra-articular fluid may fill the popliteal fossa at the back of the joint (Baker's cyst).
• To the touch, the individual joint zones are hot.
• After a physical warm-up, stiffness may disappear.
• The shape of the legs in the knee area changes (there is a curvature).

For third-degree gonarthrosis, the following symptoms are characteristic:

• The pains disturb day and night, during rest and while walking. The patient should seek a position to reduce the severity of the pain symptom.
• The joint is difficult to bend and bend. He is limited in movement. The leg cannot be fully straightened.
• O- or X-shaped deformity of the lower extremities may form.
• The knee joint significantly increases in size, deforms. There is marked synovitis.
• The patient's gait becomes unstable, shaky, he has to use a cane / crutches, resort to outside help during movement.

There is also a fourth degree of gonarthrosis of the knee joints. Clinically, orthopedists refer her to the third stage of the disease. It can only be determined by radiographs.

In the fourth degree, the articulating surfaces of the bones are so deformed that there is almost no space between them, without which movement is impossible. The patient is in constant pain.

If you experience similar symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with the consequences.

Diagnosis of gonarthrosis of the knee joints

Diagnosis of the disease includes questioning the patient, examining the inflamed joint, checking its volume, assessing mobility. If gonarthrosis is suspected, the orthopedist prescribes instrumental methods:

• X-ray. With gonarthrosis, radiography shows narrowing of the fissures, rarefaction of bone tissue and its compaction under the cartilage, ossification of the articular cartilage. Perhaps the presence of osteophytes - bony growths along the edges of cartilage.
• Ultrasonographic diagnosis of the knee joint.
• arthroscopy. During the study, the surgeon inserts a special microvideo camera connected to the arthroscope into the joint through punctures. An image of all parts of the study area appears on the screen.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Allows you to assess the degree of damage to the knee joints.
• A blood test is an auxiliary diagnostic method and does not always provide a complete picture of the clinical picture. The fact is, with gonarthrosis, the signs of inflammation in the blood may not be determined.

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joints

Medicines

In the treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joint, the following groups of drugs are used:

• anti-inflammatory;
• analgesics;
• condoprotectors (they guarantee the restoration of the destroyed cartilaginous tissue).

The forms of its release are different - ointments, creams, gels, tablets, capsules, intra-articular and intramuscular injections.

Orthopedics

Orthopedic treatment of the pathology involves the use of special devices to minimize the load on diseased joints:

• orthopedic insoles for shoes
• orthoses (special rigid knee braces that limit mobility in a diseased joint),
• canes.

Surgery

Surgical methods are used in the treatment of third degree knee joint gonarthrosis. Indications for endoprostheses are:

• uncontrollable pain,
• significant dysfunction of the knee and hip joints.

The time spent on implantation is 2-3 hours. Before installing the prosthesis, the destroyed part of the joint and the back of the patella are removed, the axis of the leg is aligned. Ligaments are restored if necessary. When the endoprosthesis is installed, the wound is sutured.

In the first hours after surgery, due to anesthesia, the patient does not feel the lower limbs. The rehabilitation period is long - 3-4 months.

It is impossible to perform an arthroplasty operation if the patient suffers from osteoporosis (fragility and fragility of bones).

Additional methods of treating gonarthrosis

With gonarthrosis, as auxiliary treatment methods, can be used:

• manual therapy;
• massage;
• acupuncture;
• hirudotherapy;
• physiotherapy;
• exercise therapy.

Exercise therapy for gonarthrosis

Exercises for gonarthrosis of the knee joint are selected individually. Its regular implementation allows you to strengthen the muscles surrounding the inflamed joint, improve blood circulation in the area of pathology. They should be performed lying on your back or sitting.

In the first days, therapeutic exercises for gonarthrosis of the knee joint should not take more than 10 minutes. Gradually, class time should be increased to half an hour. It is important to do all movements smoothly to ensure that the pain does not increase.

General exercises include:

• Raise the straight leg to a height of 15-20 cm from the floor and keep it in this position for as long as possible.
• Raise the straight leg to a height of 15-20 cm and gradually lower it to its original position.
• Flexion and extension of the legs, sitting on a chair.

Any squat and long walk are contraindicated without prior consultation with an orthopedist.

Features of the treatment of gonarthrosis, depending on the degree of the disease

Treatment of first-degree knee joint gonarthrosis

The first degree of the disease is the easiest. The patient is assigned:

• Massage.
• Physiotherapy.
• Physiotherapy procedures.

In the presence of obesity, weight loss is necessary. For this, a special diet is observed.

Treatment of second degree knee joint gonarthrosis

Comprehensive treatment of the pathology includes:

• Perform exercises recommended by the therapist.
• Take anti-inflammatories and pain relievers, condoprotectants, introduce hyaluronic acid into the joint.
• Herbal procedures (if there is no pronounced inflammatory process).
• Weight normalization.

Treatment of third degree gonarthrosis

Therapeutic treatment of third-degree pathology is similar to the measures used in the second stage of the disease. However, in the absence of the expected effect, a surgical method is recommended to the patient.

If we are talking about the beginning of the third degree, then it is possible to remove some of the damaged cartilage and bony bulges. Using an arthroscope, the doctor examines the cavity of the knee joint and studies how pronounced the problem is.

If areas of healthy tissue are preserved, corrective osteotomy is indicated. During this operation, the doctor corrects the shape of the bone through a fracture. Then he installs a special plate that allows you to fix the limb in the correct position.

The second method of surgical treatment is endoprosthesis - an operation to replace the entire knee joint or its individual parts with prostheses.

Treatment of gonarthrosis of the knee joints with folk remedies

Folk recipes help to get good results only in stages 1 and 2 of the disease. When cartilage tissue is destroyed and the joint is severely deformed, they are powerless.

ficus tincture

The solution is prepared according to the recipe:

• Pass the ficus leaf through a meat grinder.
• Place in a glass dish.
• Add 100 ml of vodka.
• Close the lid and leave to infuse for 3 weeks.
• Store the prepared liquid in the refrigerator. Rub the joints with tincture once a day for 10 days.

clay compresses

• Place the blue/red clay in a glass dish.
• Dilute with water to the consistency of sour cream.
• Apply clay to a linen/cotton fabric about 1. 5-2 cm thick.
• Apply to the affected joint.
• Secure with a bandage and wrap with a towel.
• Make compresses 2-3 times a day. The duration of treatment is 1. 5 weeks.

dandelion tincture

• Fill a glass bottle with dandelion flowers.
• Top with triple colony.
• Close the lid.
• Put for a month in a dark place.
• After the specified period of time, strain the tincture. Rub your knees 2 times a day.

apple cider vinegar for knee arthritis

• Mix 6 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 2 tablespoons of natural honey.
• Apply the mixture to the joint area.
• Cover with cabbage leaves.
• Wrap with plastic wrap and a tissue.
• It is better to apply a compress at night. Remove after the leaves have completely dried. The course of treatment is about 4 weeks.

Garlic with celery and lemon

• 250 g celery, 120 g garlic, chop 3 lemons, mix. Transfer to a three-liter jar, pour boiling water.
• Cover with a warm blanket.
• After cooling, the agent should be consumed 70 ml before meals, first 1 time a day, after a few days - 2-3 times a day.

diet for gonarthrosis

The diet for gonarthrosis of the knee joint aims to normalize body weight, fight obesity and saturate the body with nutrients. If the patient manages to lose weight, the pain becomes less pronounced as there is less stress on the joints. In this case, you should not starve yourself or resort to the help of mono-diets. Nutrition must be balanced.

Proteins help restore intra-articular cartilage. Your patient can get from lean meats, cheeses, cottage cheese, fish, lentils, beans, buckwheat. Useful for gonarthrosis jelly made from bone broth as it contains a lot of collagen.

Carbohydrates should be obtained by eating vegetables and fruits. Fats should be predominantly vegetable. A small amount of butter is allowed. Vitamins, especially those of group B, are of great importance for the improvement of the patient's condition, being found in eggs, legumes, bananas, dairy products, cabbage, nuts and lentils.

Alcohol with gonarthrosis of the knee joints is prohibited. Not only does it have a negative effect on the body as a whole, but it also increases appetite, which is undesirable.

The danger of gonarthrosis

With first and second degree gonarthrosis, we are not talking about disability. The third stage of the disease can render the patient incapacitated, when joint functions are completely lost and movement without assistance becomes impossible.

It should be understood that gonarthrosis is a chronic pathology that is constantly evolving. For the prognosis to be favorable, competent selection of medications and regular exercise are required.

Risk group for gonarthrosis

The risk group for gonarthrosis includes:

• professional dancers;
• athletes;
• builders, shippers, miners;
• people with a hereditary predisposition;
• people with obesity;
• with postural disorders;
• suffered fractures;
• with malformations of the ligament-articular apparatus;
• suffer from hormonal, rheumatoid and metabolic diseases.

Prevention of gonarthrosis

To reduce the risk of developing gonarthrosis of the knee joints, the following recommendations should be observed:

• do physical education;
• avoid excessive physical activity;
• control weight;
• seek qualified medical care for injuries, inflammatory joint diseases;
• do not cool it too much (if there is a problem, it is recommended to use warm knee pads);
• drink 2 liters of water a day;
• wear comfortable shoes;
• avoid stressful situations.

This article is published for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.