arthrosis

The surfaces of the bones that form the joint are covered with a special hyaline cartilage - smooth and provide the least frictional force during motor activity of the articular surfaces. If osteoarthritis is diagnosed, it means that the cartilage is in the process of destruction.

As it progresses, the destructive process spreads to the bones, and then to the joint capsule.

The disease has a universal microbial code 10 - M15-M19, which classifies it as a class of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue.

According to medical statistics, 12% of the world population suffer from osteoarthritis, most of them are elderly people over 65 years old. However, there is an alarming trend of increasing cases among young people every year.

The diagnosis is not fatal, but osteoarthritis is insidious with its flare-ups and threat of total disability.

origin mechanism

The disease develops gradually, we can conditionally distinguish four stages:

1. First, a poorly supplied or damaged area of cartilage develops at the site of the cartilage. Gradually, in the presence of traumatic factors, the area is not restored, but, on the contrary, grows.
2. The body, trying to repair the collapsing cartilage, replaces the damaged areas with mineralized tissue that has no clear structure. Such tissue is generally an inferior substitute for smooth, gliding, and elastic hyaline cartilage.
3. Gradually, the surface of the cartilage becomes covered with scars and bone growths - osteophytes.
4. Healthy areas from the repeatedly increased load wear out very quickly, causing the entire cartilage tissue to become a large scar.

If the pathological process is not stopped, the joint will experience the following adverse changes:

• Bones are involved in the process of destruction;
• the synovial membrane becomes inflamed;
• the joint capsule becomes denser and loses its elasticity;
• the lumen of the joint space decreases rapidly;
• Bones that cannot withstand the friction are deformed, like the entire joint;
• the tissues of the joint are reborn, as a result of which the possibility of movement is completely lost.

types of osteoarthritis

This disease affects absolutely every joint surface! At the same time, despite the same pathology mechanism, it is divided into several types.

So, depending on which joints are sick, they distinguish:

• Arthrosis of the knee joint or patellofemoral arthrosis (abbreviated as gonarthrosis);
• Arthrosis of the hip joint (abbreviated as coxarthrosis);
• arthrosis of the shoulder joint;
• interphalangeal arthrosis;
• arthrosis of the ankle;
• arthrosis of the hands;
• cervical arthrosis;
• osteoarthritis of the jaw;
• Osteoarthritis of the metatarsophalangeal joint;
• arthrosis of the ilium;
• clavicular-acromial arthrosis;
• temporal arthrosis;
• arthrosis of the heels;
• arcuate osteoarthritis affecting the arcuate processes of the vertebrae (abbreviated as spondyloarthrosis);
• arthrosis of the facet joints of the spine;
• uncovertebral osteoarthritis;
• costovertebral osteoarthritis;
• talonavicular osteoarthritis.

According to the peculiarities of the course of the pathological process in the cartilage tissue, there are:

• deforming arthrosis is the name of a disease that has passed into the terminal stage (terminal stage);
• arthrosis, - the presence of a classic inflammatory process is characteristic;
• chronic;
• acute osteoarthritis.

According to the causes of pathology, there are:

• dystrophic arthrosis of the joints associated with a critical metabolic disorder;
• Osteoarthritis of the fracture caused by the corresponding injuries;
• post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

It is important to know! There is no arthrosis of the internal organs, for example, arthrosis of the heart is not a type of disease, but a consequence: a violation of the activity of the heart due to the destruction of the cartilage of the chest region.

There is another classification depending on whether the disease is independent or caused by provoking factors:

• primary - occurs on a completely healthy cartilage, another name - idiopathic arthrosis or occurs with age-related senile changes;
• secondary - caused by many reasons.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

There are very typical signs of arthrosis of all localizations, which differ in severity depending on the degree of development of the pathology:

• Pain, pain syndrome, aggravated by high humidity and hypothermia;
• decreased mobility of the joint;
• crackling, creaking and scratching noises during movements of the joint surfaces;
• external changes in the outline of the joint;
• swelling and swelling;
• reddening of the skin.

Pains

The first signs of disorders are usually noticeable through slight or moderate, short-term pain, which almost never occurs at night, but usually only occurs when the joint surface is loaded.

When the inflammatory processes have passed into their final stage, the patient feels unbearable, "nagging" pain due to stagnation of blood and increased pressure in the joint bag. Pain is characterized by a long duration, at any time of the day and regardless of whether the affected area is at rest or in motion.

joint stiffness

This symptom is typical of a fairly advanced disease. At the same time, in the early stages, after waking up in the morning, the patient still feels discomfort when moving in the form of a feeling of stiffness.

With the progression of destructive reactions, the patient notes:

• limiting the amplitude of habitual movements;
• the inability to change the position of the limbs at rest, even when trying to manually relax the joint;
• strong fixation (contracture) in a certain position of the joint, which for a long time was in a state of lack of motor function.

In the end, at the fourth stage of the pathology, ankylosis develops in the form of replacement of articular tissue with scars with a complete loss of function.

noise in the joint

A crunch can accompany any bone and cartilage dysfunction that is not unique to osteoarthritis.

However, characteristic of this disease is that the tone:

• occurs only in the joint that hurts;
• accompanied by difficulties in movement;
• tends to intensify with the progression of the pathology and occurs during the formation of ankylosis.

Changing the appearance of the joint

Noticeable changes occur in the later stages. So, the axis of the affected limb is bent, and the joint region itself is deformed - it grows in size, the shape changes ugly.

All this testifies to the irreversible destruction of the joint, in which a new tissue without a specific structure has formed.

When such a disease-causing process occurs in the knee, the stress on the ankle and metatarsophalangeal joints will increase, which will damage them over time.

If the outwardly deformed part of the body is also swollen or swollen, this is an inflammation of the synovial membrane, as a result of which the synovial fluid accumulates in large quantities in the joint sac and causes severe pain.

causes of osteoarthritis

Pathology can occur both in a single joint and be transferred to several. This disease occurs most rarely at a young age – there is still enough vitality for the body to heal itself.

However, the causes of occurrence are for all age groups in their direction of exposure:

• internal - some diseases, bad habits, unbalanced diet, etc. ;
• External, - injuries, professional factor.

Internal causes are factors that provoke a negative change in the joint in the form of joint inflammation. There are inflammations of various genesis:

• infectious (E. coli and Koch bacillus, viruses, chlamydia, staphylococci, Treponema pallidum, etc. );
• Rheumatism;
• purulent arthritis;
• autoimmune nature;
• Gout;
• Psoriasis.

In addition, the causes of internal exposure include congenital or acquired disorders of cartilage structure and malnutrition, which may be associated with:

• genetic errors and mutations;
• abnormalities of intrauterine development, including perinatal trauma;
• advanced age;
• osteoporosis, i. H. "washing out" the components from the bone tissue;
• hormonal disorders and overload, including menopause;
• violations of normal metabolism;
• nutritional deficiencies of vitamins and minerals;
• diseases that cause muscle weakness;
• internal persistent intoxication.

The aggravation of many diseases of the musculoskeletal system also leads to degeneration of the cartilage.

External causes of the development of the disease are factors that damage the joint, such as:

• frequent hypothermia;
• dislocations;
• strong blows;
• fractures;
• meniscus injury;
• vigorous physical activity (e. g. weight lifting);
• professional sports;
• joint surgery.

degree of osteoarthritis

According to the clinical manifestations and progression of the disease, four stages of arthrosis are distinguished:

1. Arthrosis of the 1st degree, this is the initial stage of arthrosis, which is characterized by hidden symptoms in the form of negative changes in the composition of the synovial fluid and weakening of muscle fibers. When pain occurs, it happens only with physical exertion;
2. Arthrosis of the 2nd degree - this is already a feeling of pain due to the collapsing bone articulation and the formation of osteophytes, neurotrophic reflex regulation is disturbed and an audible crunch appears;
3. Arthrosis of the 3rd degree is characterized by significant degenerative changes in the joint, its visible deformation with a curvature of the axis of the limb, the ligaments are shortened, and the joint becomes pathologically mobile;
4. Stage 4 osteoarthritis is complete stiffness, complete contracture, and severe pain even at rest.

All four stages proceed unevenly: during the pathological phase, strong exacerbations and moments of remission are possible.

treatment of osteoarthritis

It has been clinically proven that treatment and prevention in the form of eliminating the provoking factors of hyaline cartilage damage, although they do not alleviate the disease in the initial stages, stop its development and restore the functionality of the joint.

Basically, the disease of low and moderate severity is treated using conservative methods. Surgical endoprosthetics are indicated in the case of severe destruction of the cartilage surface, which led to the destruction of bone.

In this case, the main principles of treatment are:

• an integrated approach that involves the use of multiple therapeutic methods;
• Expediency, that is, concentrating efforts on eliminating disease-causing factors and consequences.

Treatment with folk remedies

Treated comprehensively, but at home, you can additionally resort to healing recipes of traditional healers who offer effective treatment of health problems using herbs and bee products.

Use from plants:

• Bay leaf in the form of decoctions, tinctures of vodka and specially prepared oils applied externally directly to the site of inflammation;
• Treatment of osteoarthritis with honey has established itself as a reliable local drug that relieves inflammation in the form of rubbing and nourishes the skin, muscles and cartilage.
• Cabbage leaf, - better than white cabbage, - knead a little and wrap it around a sore spot, warm it with a woolen cloth and keep it all night;
• aloe juice in the form of compresses and rubbing into the skin;

Treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint with burdock also helps: the sheet is glued to the sore spot, which is insulated for the whole night.

It is important to know! With phytotherapy it is necessary to enhance the effect, forget about bad habits and take care of proper nutrition.

Osteoarthritis medication

Drug treatment associated with the classical method of therapy is divided into drugs depending on the dosage form used:

• external use in the form of an ointment for arthrosis, rubbing, lotions;
• injections;
• pills for osteoarthritis;
• capsules.

Anoint

The pharmaceutical industry produces medical ointments based on natural, highly active ingredients:

• heparin ointment.

A remedy with 1% diclofenac helps: The gel is applied to the skin.

injections

Injections have proven to be very effective in treatment, not only intravenously and intramuscularly, but also directly into the affected area, for example with non-steroidal drugs.

Here is how intra-articular injections are injected into damaged joint tissue:

• glucocorticoids that improve nutrition of cartilage tissue, reduce inflammation and increase elasticity;
• Chondroprotectors and analogues of intra-articular fluid;
• Hyaluronic acid as a lubricant and pain reliever.

preparations in the form of tablets and capsules

A special group in drug therapy are the so-called chondroprotectors in arthrosis, which contain the structural elements of hyaline cartilage and thereby restore it.

These medications come in the form of tablets and capsules that are designed to be taken orally through the gastrointestinal (oral) tract.

In addition, patients are prescribed NSAIDs - anti-inflammatory drugs for osteoarthritis of the nonsteroidal group, which stop acute pain and relieve exacerbations.

Painkillers are also used in the form of novocaine blockades.

In addition, complex vitamins are prescribed for arthrosis.

From natural preparations with local action, medicinal bile is recommended, which is applied to the skin in the form of compresses.

Exercises for osteoarthritis

Special movement and remedial gymnastics (LFK) have proven to be excellent, the complex of which conveys physical activity to the unhealthy part of the body in a gentle, dosed manner.

drBubnovsky and Evdokimenko developed their own therapeutic exercises.

It is important to know! Physical exercises are very effective in restoring health, but only if you resort to them at the very beginning of the development of the disease!

Massage for osteoarthritis

A very positive effect on treatment and medical massage, which improves microcirculation and deep tissue nutrition.

Diet for Arthritis

In this condition, it is important to adhere to proper, rational nutrition in order to slightly improve the patient's condition. Recommended abstinence from overeating, exclusion of animal fats and fried foods.

It is important to know! In addition, in the struggle for healthy cartilage, physiotherapy in the form of magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, paraffin and therapeutic mud wraps is necessary.

Which doctor treats osteoarthritis?

First of all, if you have complaints about pain in the joints of the bones, you should go to the therapist. It is he who, after summarizing the patient's medical history and asking him in detail, issues a referral to the necessary narrow specialist.

Depending on the cause and type of disease, this may include doctors with the following profiles:

• orthopedist;
• traumatologist;
• The surgeon;
• Rheumatologist.