The disease arthrosis has many varieties.For example, disease of the hip joint is called coxarthrosis, and the disease of the knee is called gonarthrosis.
The treatment method for all subtypes is usually the same.But still, many people do not know the difference between arthrosis and gonarthrosis of the knee joint.
On this basis, many erroneous uses of these terms have appeared among patients with this problem.
Causes
Gonarthrosis is a disease of the knee joint with damage to cartilage tissue.Many people mistakenly believe that the disease is typical only for older people, since 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);
- lifting weights, vigorous physical activity without appropriate training;
- inflammation of the joints due to exposure to various factors, including hypothermia;
- excess weight, as it leads to a large load on the joints and their subsequent degeneration;
- genetic predisposition.
As you can see, all the factors for the appearance of gonarthrosis are more typical for young people, since they lead an active lifestyle.
Although, due to excess weight, the disease can also appear in pensioners.According to statistics, after 50 years, gonarthrosis occurs more often in women.This is due to the restructuring of the body, changes in metabolic processes.
Principles and types of treatment
Arthrosis in general is a chronic disease, so it takes a long time to treat them.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 stages 3–4 of arthrosis.On the fourth, it is inevitable, and on the third, you can still try to overcome the disease using conservative methods.
Additionally, it is recommended to use special sets of gymnastic exercises, for example, the Bubnovsky technique.
In addition to the destruction of cartilage by gonarthrosis, muscle fibers and ligaments are susceptible to destruction.The goal of treatment is:
- relief from pain;
- elimination of inflammation;
- removal of edema of the periarticular area;
- stopping the destruction of cartilage, its complete or partial restoration;
- return to a full life and freedom of movement.
Even in cases where a person cannot completely cure arthrosis of the knee joint, he can partially return to a normal lifestyle thanks to therapy and prevention.The condition persists until the next relapse.
Conservative method
This method of therapy is used in most cases and is the main one.As a rule, patients are treated in this way at the initial and middle stages of gonarthrosis.All actions involve the use of medications (tablets, capsules, injections) with chemically active substances.
The following may be prescribed for treatment:
- analgin;
- chondroprotectors;
- non-steroidal drugs;
- synovial prostheses;
- glucocorticosteroids.
Other conservative methods include treatment with various ointments, mud baths, etc.
Recently, gymnastics and light physical exercise have become very popular to stop the course of the disease or possible recovery of the patient.
The body reacts heavily to non-steroidal drugs.Nevertheless, they are widely used in the treatment of arthrosis due to their multifunctional action:
- elimination of swelling in the joint;
- relief from pain;
- treatment of inflammatory processes.
Because of these properties, doctors are increasingly choosing these drugs over traditional analgesics.
Glucocorticosteroids are synthetic drugs that can replace natural hormones produced by the adrenal glands.If we compare them with non-steroidal drugs, glucocorticosteroids are much stronger.In addition, they have an antiallergic effect.
Chondroprotectors act directly on cartilage and are completely safe treatments for knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis).They are obtained from the bone structure of animals, fish cartilage, and crustacean shells.The drugs are a building material for cartilage, they improve metabolic processes and proper nutrition of the joint.
In addition to the use of medications, during treatment, recovery and prevention the following are prescribed:
- physical therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- various massages;
- visiting sanatoriums and resorts.
All this allows the patient to return to normal life and fixes the result obtained with conservative treatment.
Moreover, the classes are easy.A very useful exercise for the knee joint with gonarthrosis is to roll a ball placed on the floor or another cylindrical object, for example, a rolling pin, with your foot.
Surgical intervention
If it is not possible to cure the disease with the help of medications or therapeutic exercises, then it is necessary to undergo surgery.It can be done on both open and closed joints.At the same time, surgical methods are being improved every day, and new methods are being added to the previous ones, carried out using modern equipment.
New methods of conducting operations include:
- microsurgical intervention to restore damaged cartilage tissue;
- treatment with a laser beam with the necessary characteristics - thickness, power, etc.;
- creation of an electrolytic plasma field 1 mm thick;
- arthroscopy;
- endoprosthetics - replacement of parts of a joint with artificial prostheses.
Modern surgical methods are low-traumatic and allow for a huge number of different manipulations with the joint.
Traditional medicine recipes
Conservative treatment methods cannot always give the maximum result in the treatment of gonarthrosis.Traditional medicine recipes can be used as additional remedies.
To get rid of knee pain and crunching, you can use the following recipe:
- 150 g garlic;
- 4 lemons with peel;
- 250 g celery roots.
Grind all components in a meat grinder, mix and pour boiling water.Then put it in a saucepan, cover tightly with a lid and cool.Take 60-70 g 3 times a day for a month.If pain appears, you can repeat the course or carry it out 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 sore spot.
The procedure must be repeated two times 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 alcohol;
- 4 egg whites;
- 50 g camphor;
- 50 g mustard powder.
Add mustard and camphor alternately to the alcohol.Beat the egg whites in another container and then mix together.The ointment is applied to the sore spot.
Of course, heavy physical activity in athletes is as common a cause of gonarthrosis as the aging of joints over time.
But recently, cases of the disease appearing without such underlying causes have become more frequent.People, on the contrary, lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is why they gain extra pounds.
The load on the joints increases and prevents them from remaining 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 damage 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 of them, thinking that they are all synonyms.
Gonarthrosis can be easily confused with the following diseases:
- arthritis;
- vascular pain in the knees;
- periarthritis - inflammation of the knee tendons;
- meniscal 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 pain in the knees after unsuccessful movement, and gonarthrosis develops and progresses over the years.If meniscopathy is not treated, pain will appear from time to time, but bone deformation will not occur.
With coxarthrosis (disease of the hip joint), reflective pain in the knees is often felt, but the two diseases can be distinguished from each other in the following ways:
- with gonarthrosis, a person can calmly move his legs at the hip joint, spread them apart;
- with coxarthrosis, on the contrary, the patient can freely bend and straighten the knee;
- if pain is felt in both joints, then we can assume that this is polyarthrosis.
Arthritis is characterized by inflammation of the joints and a sudden onset, but the pain does not affect joint mobility (as with periarthritis) and is eliminated thanks to warming ointments.With this disease, swelling, high temperature, and increased pain at night appear.
Vascular pain occurs due to circulatory disorders - this often affects young people under 20 years of age.This is due to the rapid growth of the whole organism.
Thus, arthrosis is the general name of the disease, and gonarthrosis is a name indicating the location (knee).That is why it is correct to say either “arthrosis of the knee joint” or “gonarthrosis”, but not “gonarthrosis of the knee joint”.And it is quite possible to determine an accurate diagnosis through careful research and personal observations.
Arthrosis of the knee joint (Gonarthrosis): diagnosis and treatment
The knee joint is a wonderful flexion-extension mechanism that nature has provided us with.At rest, it occurs only in disabled people and overly obese people who have lost the ability to move.
Count how many times a day he makes movements, and you will come to the conclusion that the knee is the most mobile part of the joint joint.It is no wonder that diseases often choose him as their 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 early cartilage deficiency in some people.It is generally believed that a metabolic disorder, in which the metabolism of amino acids and important trace elements occurs slowly or incorrectly, is to blame.
Here, in turn, the following reasons are to blame:
- Some immune-related diseases (for example, rheumatoid arthritis)
- A disregard for oneself: Sports and movement, nutritious nutrition containing a full range of vitamins, amino acids and minerals are often pushed aside by people somewhere far away for “later” (“I’ll start on Monday, of course”)
- Even from birth, the natural balance is disturbed - so-called hereditary causes.It’s quite easy to verify your genetic predisposition: look at what your grandparents are sick with and ask them what their ancestors were sick with
- Disturbed hormonal balance: such disturbances especially affect the female body during a period of estrogen deficiency, an important hormone necessary for osteosynthesis.It is not for nothing that most of the victims of arthrosis are women of a wonderful mature age, when they are not yet old age, but already wisdom, that is, the “over 50” mark.
- Vascular diseases: Arthrosis is often combined with venous insufficiency, vein thrombosis and other diseases
- State of mind: If you think that stress only spoils your mood, you are mistaken - stress can slow down metabolism to a state of suspended animation
- A risk factor for arthrosis is too much weight
What symptoms allow one to suspect this bad pathology?
Symptoms of gonarthrosis by stage
Each stage has its own distinctive features, but they are united by the gradual development of the disease:
You cannot suddenly stop walking because of pain: a sharp, sudden pain symptom in the knee most likely indicates an injury.
First stage.In the first stage, the following symptoms occur:
- Mild pain after a long walk, climbing stairs, etc.
- Stiffness after rest
- There is no deformity in the knee, but it may be somewhat swollen due to accumulated fluid: this phenomenon is called synovitis.Fluid can even collect in the back part - the popliteal fossa, forming a cyst, which is often mistaken by frightened patients for a cancerous tumor.The cyst usually resolves easily after treatment with injections of NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or glucocorticosteroids
Second stage
At the second stage, the following signs are noticed:
- Increased pain after exercise and movement and the appearance of a characteristic rough crunch
- Increasing morning stiffness
- Movement all the way or even 90 degrees is accompanied by a pain symptom, sometimes so strong that it becomes impossible to complete it
- Due to the onset of deformation, the bones thicken and become rough - this can be determined by palpation
- Synovitis may get worse
Third stage
At the third stage, which is already defined as late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint, symptoms appear:
- Constant pain that does not go away even at night: The knee aches and twists, especially in cold damp weather
- A sharp reduction in the range of motion: no more than 90 degrees, or even less
- Changes in gait: the patient begins to limp, walks slowly on half-bent legs, waddles, walking up steps is especially difficult
- Visible severe deformation with mixing of the axes of the joints - because of this, the legs take the form of the letter “X” or “O” (such signs are called hallux valgus).
- At this stage, the cartilage, as a rule, is already completely destroyed, and ossification (ossification) occurs in the ligaments.
- Subsequently, the surface of the joint becomes overgrown with calcium deposits, which is why the knee takes on a lumpy, uneven appearance.
- Due to severe deformation and lack of synovial fluid, movements in the knee become extremely painful
- Gradually, almost complete immobility of the knee sets in - late deforming arthrosis of the knee joint
Treatment of gonarthrosis
Treatment of this disease is complex and lengthy, effective only in the first stages.In the latter, conservative treatment only plays a role in alleviating the patient’s situation.
Diagnostics.An important preliminary stage is diagnosis.
- The best way to diagnose and determine whether the pain is caused by injury or arthrosis is by using an X-ray or MRI of the knee joint.
- Arthrosis is diagnosed if it is noticed: 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 (for severe pain - in the form of intra-articular injections)
- In the third and fourth stages of arthrosis, injections with liquid to lubricate the joints are also prescribed
For gonarthrosis, the following types of physiotherapy are effective:
- SWT (shock wave therapy)
- electromyostimulation
- acupuncture
- magnetotherapy
- radiofrequency therapy, etc.
Rehabilitation treatment
To avoid contractures and even greater immobility, exercises for the knees should 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 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 - replacing a joint that has lost its function with an endoprosthesis.
However, we must remember:
- in old age, the healing of the prosthesis is slower
- After surgery there may be pain for a year
- long-term rehabilitation with mechanotherapy and comprehensive exercise therapy is needed
If the patient refuses surgery, then conservative supportive treatment is prescribed, the purpose of which is to combat pain and preserve the motor function of the knee
What is arthrosis of the knee joint often confused with - gonarthrosis?
- When diagnosing gonarthrosiserrors occur as often, if not more often, than in diagnosing hip diseases.
- Below is a list of diseases that are most often mistaken for arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis).
- From the practice of Dr. Evdokimenko,Most often, arthrosis of the knee joint is confused with the following diseases:
Damage to the menisci (meniscopathy) and blockade of the knee joint
Meniscal injuries and knee blockages occur in people of all ages, young and old.Men and women get sick equally often.Usually one knee joint is damaged.
Unlike gonarthrosis, the disease develops quickly.As a rule, after an unsuccessful movement when walking, running or jumping, a person hears a crunch in the knee and feels acute pain in the joint.After 10–15 minutes, the acute pain subsides slightly and the person can move.But the next day or the day after, the knee swells, and the pain intensifies again.
Without proper treatment, the disease continues for years - the pain either subsides or appears again.But compared to gonarthrosis, meniscopathy rarely causes deformation of 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 quite often.
Arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis)
The diagnosis of “gonarthrosis” is often mistakenly made with “referred” pain, which often occurs with arthrosis of the hip joint and extends from the hip joint to the knee.
But these conditions are very easy to differentiate - 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 suffering from arthrosis of the hip joint to rotate the leg “from the hip” and spread the legs to the sides sharply decreases.
A person suffering from gonarthrosis, on the contrary, easily rotates his leg from the hip and easily spreads his legs to the sides.But he bends his knee with difficulty and squats down in pain.
Arthritis
Knee joints are the most vulnerable joints of 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, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout, ankylosing spondylitis and articular rheumatism.
Arthritis affects people of any age, but most often the onset of the disease occurs in young people.
With arthritis, either one or both knees can become inflamed.
A characteristic feature of arthritic inflammation of the knee joint is a rapid onset (within 1–3 days), with obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, as well as increased pain in the affected joint at night (at about 3–4 am).That is, the pain at night, at rest, may be stronger than when walking.With arthrosis, as you remember, pain decreases at night.
In addition, almost any arthritis leads to inflammation of not one, but several joints at once: 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 knees
These pains, which arise due to poor blood circulation in the knee joints, are familiar to many people.They usually begin during adolescence, a period of active growth - since vascular development in fast-growing adolescents often does not keep up with the accelerated growth of bones.
Once occurring, vascular pain in the knees can accompany a person almost all his life.But their intensity usually decreases after 18–20 years (and does not increase with age, as happens with arthrosis).And unlike arthrosis pain, vascular pain in the knees 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 knees;occur when the weather changes, in the cold, during colds and after physical activity.At such moments, suffering people complain that their knees are “twisting.”
In most cases, vascular pain in the knees is easily eliminated by rubbing warm ointments, massage and self-massage (vigorous rubbing of the knees), or taking vasodilating drugs.No special therapy is required for this condition.
Inflammation of the knee tendons (periarthritis of the bursa anserina)
Mostly women are affected, most often over the age of 40.Pain usually occurs when walking down stairs or when carrying heavy objects or heavy bags.When walking calmly on a level surface, pain is extremely rare.
The pain caused by periarthritis does not extend to the entire knee.It focuses exclusively on the inside of the knees, about 3- below the point where the knees would touch when you bring your legs together.And unlike arthrosis, with periarthritis there is no restriction of knee mobility; the leg bends and extends at the knee as expected, in full.