Of the ancient Greek "osteoarthritis" is a joint disease ("arthr-"-articulation, "-esis" -disase). Sometimes it is also called osteoarthrosis or deforming osteoarthrosis (of the ancient Greek "osteon" - bone).
It will be a mistake to call arthrosis the disease: this is the name of a complete group of states, which includes many diagnoses.
Any disease of any articulation, regardless of the cause, can be called osteoarthritis, but this will not give anything to the doctor or the patient: the word "osteoarthritis" is not associated with the cause of the disease or with the treatment, but only with some symptoms.
The word "osteoarthritis" is very similar to another term: "This is arthritis. "Both describe the damage to the joints, often both are associated with the pain in the joint, but have significant differences.
Typically, arthritis is a disease associated with inflammation in the joint: hereditary or autoimmune diseases lead to the beginning of arthritis. Its main manifestations include pain, color change, swelling in the inflamed joint area.
With osteoarthritis, manifestations are less notable and causes are completely different.
How the joint (knee and others work)
The musculoskeletal system needs a person for active movements in space. The bones are a rigid frame, the muscles, its driving force and the joints, the place of the mobile connection of the bones.
In the structure of the joint there are always two ends of the neighboring bones that can move with each other with the help of the muscles and a small space between them. This joint space is full of a special lubricant: synovial fluid. It is necessary for cartilage nutrition: there are no vessels inside it, so it takes all Syinovia nutrients.
The articular end of each bone is covered with cartilage to protect the bone tissue from friction. The cartilage also helps "extinguish" vibration and acute mechanical load: for example, knee and foot joints during the walk take most of the energy of the stroke on the ground.
The restoration of this cartilage is a long and complex process that does not always end successfully.
All joints are limited by a capsule, a film that contains the joint fluid does not allow it to spread. Almost all joints are backed by ligaments that do not allow neighboring bones to move too much and in the wrong direction.
Why and how osteoarthritis develops
There are many reasons for the beginning of osteoarthritis, in some cases it is a combination of factors, and sometimes it is impossible to establish the cause.
There are three main causes and more than an additional dozen. The most popular:
- joint injury;
- abnormalities of the congenital joint (dysplasia);
- The consequence of the inflammation (arthritis) of any reason;
- age (generally more than 50 years);
- Metabolism violation (trace elements), obesity;
- Excessive load on the Board.
The development of osteoarthritis is divided into three stages:
- Initial. There are no obvious signs, it is difficult to find it. The composition of the synovial fluid is changing, its function worsens.
- Pain. Complaints and structural changes appear in the form of bone growth: osteophytes.
- Severe osteoarthritis. A significant decrease in articulation function is added: movements are reduced or disappear completely; The Board is deformed and the appearance of the limb changes.
First, the cartilage structure is disturbed: it is greased due to a change in the composition of the Synovia or for another reason. The swelling of the cartilage fabric worsens its nutrition, so over time the cartilage begins to be thinner.
Then, in the most loaded parts of the Board, the cartilage almost disappears or becomes too tight. In return, bone growth begins: the appearance of osteophytes (bones ").
At the end of the disease, bone growth is so pronounced that it limits movement to ankylosis: the complete immobility of the joint.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis
Initial manifestations: periodic pain after significant physical activity. Then the rigidity of the morning joins: after waking up for several minutes (up to 30), the joint seems to be connected by an elastic bandage: the movements are possible, but difficult.
Subsequent symptoms:
- pain in the palpation of the joint;
- bone thickening in the joint;
- movement restriction;
- greater pain during less significant physical activity;
- Limb deformation.
Very often, osteoarthritis is a disease of large joints of the legs (knee, hip) and hands (shoulder). The foot joints are less common.
Degenerative processes in the joint can still manifest in the form of unusual sounds during movement: crunch, cracking, shock.
Diagnosis
As in the case of any other disease, it begins with the collection of an anamnesis: the history of the disease.
It is especially important that the doctor discovers if there is the presence of risk factors (injuries, arthritis, congenital defects, chronic diseases).
After speaking and inspecting the joint, additional methods will be needed: instrumental tests and examination.
The main study in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis is radiography.
The image will clearly see the main changes in the articulation: reduction of the joint gap, bone growth, deformation. In the initial stages, you can see small osteophytes along the edge of the joint, and in the last unequal growth of the bone along the entire joint gap will be significantly.
The ultrasound exam (ultrasound) is an additional method that will help determine the thickness of the cartilage in the early stages of osteoarthritis. Arthroscopy is less common: a surgeon places a small camera directly in the space of the Board and obtains the image of the cartilage.
Treatment of osteoarthritis
It is impossible to completely cure osteoarthritis and return the joint to the original state. The correct combination of several methods will only slow down the development of osteoarthritis, but "return to ancient youth" will not work.
The main tasks of treating deforming osteoarthrosis of the knee joint or hip:
- Moderate physical activity (run, walk, sit);
- Special exercises, exercise therapy (physiotherapy exercises);
- diet;
- Pharmacological treatment;
- Surgical treatment
With the osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint or other location, the principles do not change, except for the correction of the load in the specific joint.
Physical activity and exercises are selected in each case with an orthopedist doctor by a doctor. The diet generally includes the enrichment of the diet with unsaturated fatty acids, a variety of proteins, moderately limits carbohydrates (especially the simple ones, are "fast").
The rejection of bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol in any amount) significantly slows down the development of osteoarthritis. The diet also depends on the cause of the disease, chronic diseases. You do not need to take dietary supplements.
Drug Therapy - Analgesics. NSAID -Non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs are not used more frequently. The appropriate choice depends on the presence of chronic diseases and the planned duration of the administration. Less commonly used are cutting cuts (glucocorticoids, steroid drugs).
Very often, doctors recipe condroprotectors, medications containing some of the important molecules for cartilage. In the vast majority of cases, such medications have no effect on the articulation, especially the forms of tablets and ointments.
It is extremely rare that such medications can really be necessary and give a real effect: when examining the intra -articular fluid, it can verify its amount and with a lack of injected directly into the joint (intra -articular injection).
Conclusions
Arthosis is a degenerative joint disease associated with mechanical damage to cartilage and the growth of bone tissue. Usually, it develops in people over 50, after joint injuries or excess long -term load.
It is manifested by pain after loading, morning and crispy rigidity.