Knee osteoarthritis (knee joint disease) is a disease that causes the cartilage in the knee joint to deform. The disease is common, especially among older generations. The work of the knee deteriorates, so difficulty with its mobility and pain sensations are the most important signs of the disease. Knee joint disease is also common in people aged 25-30 today. What explains the versatility of the causes of the disease and the corresponding treatments. >There are two types of knee arthropathy: unilateral (affecting only one knee) and bilateral (affecting both knees). The disease is more commonly seen in its bilateral manifestations.
reason
Knee arthropathy, like hip arthropathy, most often manifests in old age. Although today is no exception, and young people also have symptoms of the disease. This suggests that the causes of arthropathy are different, each affecting in its own way the appearance, progression, and treatment of the disease. There is also the possibility of an organism's genetic predisposition, ie. Knee joint disease may be more common in some families than in others. Furthermore, the disease may not be genetically determined. Therefore, there are various causes of knee joint disease.
- Various physical injuries to the knee (bruises, dislocations, etc. ).
- Age-inappropriate heavy loads (5-7% of all knee and hip cases).
- The patient is overweight (10% of all arthritis cases).
- Concomitant diseases, such as arthritis (5-7% of all arthropathy, polyarthropathy, and hip joint disease).
- Congenital ligamentous weakness (3-5% of arthropathy cases).
- Metabolic syndrome and metabolic problems in the body.
- Muscle spasms in the upper thigh (up to 50% of cases of knee and hip disease).
symptom
The symptoms of knee osteoarthritis are mostly the same and occur in almost all patients. Patients also noted that pain exacerbations occurred during the spring and autumn periods and depended on changes in the weather. The main symptom of this disease is knee pain. Most of the time, it doesn't appear immediately, but is only noticeable after a long walk and in the late afternoon. Bells can cause stiffness in the knee when moving. Mild symptoms, if not noticed, can lead to disease with extremely poor outcomes for the patient. Despite the main symptoms, there are several other signs of the disease:
- Pain syndrome at rest, loss of quality when walking;
- Limited motion of the knee joint and difficulty controlling its mobility;
- stiff knees;
- increased sensitivity in the knee area;
- swelling of the knee joint and surrounding skin;
- Knee deformity.
The assessment of the state of the knee joint is done during a doctor's examination and an X-ray. Also, the disease stage of any arthropathy (including hip, knee, polyarthropathy, etc. ) can only be determined with an X-ray, and only a doctor can assess the condition. Therefore, it is extremely important not to self-diagnose and not to jump to conclusions.
degree of joint disease
Level 1
The knee joint does not succumb to the deforming effects of the disease, but appears only by external signs and slight swelling of the skin around the joint, the color change of which is evident. At the physiological level, it is characterized by minor changes in the hyaline cartilage. Mild joint deformities occur due to the accumulation of large amounts of synovial fluid in synovial proteins, accompanied by pain when walking. No other signs, such as restricted mobility, were observed. Therefore it is also difficult to track them on radiographs. In this case, the disease is difficult to diagnose, but by a quick definition, its treatment will be more effective than other or third-degree arthropathy, as well as other types of arthropathy (hip disease, polyarthropathy).
secondary
The main symptom is excruciating or severe pain that is aggravated by walking and lifting even with light loads. Over time, this will develop into difficulty bending the knee. On a physiological level, this manifests as a dramatic reduction in the volume of the cartilage layer, and in some places a complete absence. Based on the results of the X-ray, this degree can be determined by the density of the marginal bone growth and the joint space. During the work of the joints, especially long walks, there is a characteristic creaking sound. Gradually, the patient may lose the ability to bend the knee or have difficulty giving him. Deformation effects are already manifested at this stage of arthropathy development, as well as in other types of arthropathy (hip arthropathy, polyarthropathy). Visually, it is obvious that the surrounding skin has roughened and changed color. Treatment at this stage is best started with a complex and intensive one. Here, both medicine and traditional treatments will be relevant.
Level 3
It is characterized by severe pain, even when the knee is inactive or immobilized. The deformation effects are so pronounced that significant changes in joint and adjacent tissue structures can be visually determined. At the physiological level, it is characterized by the absence of cartilage tissue, which is easily diagnosed on X-ray. The treatment of third-degree knee disease and other types of joint disease (polyarthropathy, hip disease) is virtually an irreversible process. Instead, the main goal of this treatment is to reduce pain and eliminate some of the symptoms that the disease presents.