Osteoarthritis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis) is a disease that causes deformation of the cartilage of the knee joint.This disease occurs very frequently, especially among older generations.The function of the knee deteriorates and, therefore, difficulties in mobility and pain are the most important signs of the disease.Today, osteoarthritis of the knee joint is also common among people aged 25 to 30 years.Which speaks of the versatility of the causes of the disease and, consequently, its treatment.> There are two types of gonarthrosis: unilateral (affects only one knee) and bilateral (affects both knees).More often the disease occurs in its bilateral manifestation.
Reasons
Gonarthrosis, like coxatrosis, manifests itself more often in old age.Although today it is no exception that young people also experience symptoms of this disease.This suggests that the causes of gonarthrosis are different and each can have its own impact on the onset, exacerbation and treatment of the disease.There is also the possibility of a genetic predisposition of the organism, that is, knee osteoarthritis may be more common in some families than in others.In addition, this disease may not be genetically determined.Therefore, several causes of gonarthrosis can be identified.
- Various physical injuries to the knee (bruises, dislocations, etc.).
- Heavy loads that do not correspond to age (5-7% of all cases of gonarthrosis, as well as coxarthrosis).
- Excessive body weight of the patient (10% of all cases of gonarthrosis).
- Accompanying diseases, for example, arthritis (5-7% of all cases of gonarthrosis, polyarthrosis and coxarthrosis).
- Congenital weakness of the ligaments (3-5% of gonarthrosis cases).
- Metabolic syndrome and problems with metabolism in the body.
- Muscle spasm of the upper thigh (up to 50% of cases of gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis).
Symptoms
The symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint are practically the same and appear in almost all patients.Patients also note that the pain worsens in spring and autumn and depends on weather changes.The main symptom of the disease is knee pain.Most of the time, it does not appear immediately, but is only noticeable after a long walk and appears in the late afternoon.In the morning there may be stiffness in the knee when moving.If minor symptoms are not attended to, the disease can progress and bring extremely undesirable results for the patient.Despite the main symptoms, there are several other signs of the disease:
- pain in a calm state, which qualitatively decreases when walking;
- limited movement of the knee joint and difficulty controlling its mobility;
- stiffness of knee movement;
- increased sensitivity in the knee area;
- swelling in the knee joint area and swelling of the surrounding skin;
- knee joint deformity.
The condition of the knee joint is evaluated by a medical examination and x-rays.In addition, the stage of the disease of any osteoarthritis (including coxatrosis, gonarthrosis, polyarthrosis and others) can only be determined by radiography and only a doctor can evaluate such conditions.Therefore, it is extremely important not to self-diagnose or jump to conclusions.
Degrees of gonarthrosis
1st grade
The knee joints have not succumbed to the deforming influence of the disease, but are only manifested by external signs and a slight swelling of the periarticular skin, and changes in their color are noted.At a physiological level it is characterized by minor changes in the hyaline cartilage.As a result of the accumulation of a significant amount of joint fluid in the synovix, small deformations of the joint occur, which are accompanied by pain when walking.No other signs such as limited mobility are observed.And that's why it's also difficult to track them on an x-ray.At this degree, the disease is difficult to diagnose, but if it is quickly identified, its treatment will be more effective than in the other or third degree of gonarthrosis, as well as in other types of osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis, polyarthrosis).
second grade
The main symptom is unbearable or severe pain even with light exertion, which intensifies when walking and lifting heavy objects.Over time, this will develop into difficulty bending the knee.At the physiological level, this is manifested by the fact that the volume of the cartilage layer decreases sharply, and in some places it is completely absent.Based on x-ray results, this grade can be determined by marginal bone growth and joint space density.When the joint works, especially when walking for a long time, a characteristic crunch appears.Gradually, the patient may lose the ability to bend the knee or find it very difficult to do so.The deforming effect is already evident at this stage of the development of gonarthrosis, as well as other types of osteoarthritis (coxarthrosis, polyarthrosis).This is visually noticeable and the surrounding skin becomes rough and changes color.Treatment at this stage is best to start comprehensively and intensively.Both medications 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 deforming effect is very notable and significant changes in the structure of the joint and adjacent tissues can be visually verified.At a physiological level it is characterized by the absence of cartilaginous tissue and this is easy to diagnose using an x-ray.Treatment of stage III osteoarthritis of the knee joint and other types of osteoarthritis (polyarthrosis, coxarthrosis) is a practically irreversible process.Rather, the main goal of such treatment will be to reduce pain and eliminate some symptoms of the disease.