Many of us experience pain in the knee joint during our lives, which occurs when walking, strenuous exercise, playing sports. Sometimes the pain syndrome is accompanied by a crunch, swelling, inability to move the limb. All these symptoms indicate that morphological changes are taking place in the knee. In our article, we will take a closer look at the most common inflammatory diseases of the knee joint, the symptoms and treatment of the disease in each case. We will try to figure out what contributes to the formation of the disease and how to diagnose it at an early stage.
What is a joint?
A joint is such a connection of bones, thanks to which the bone skeleton is endowed with flexibility, and a person has the ability to perform various movements, such as:
- flexion/extension of limbs,
- abduction / adduction of limbs,
- rotational movements.
Joints are classified into:
- simple;
- joints formed by two bones;
- joints formed by three or more bones (compound joints).
The surface of each bone that enters the joint is covered with cartilage and is characterized by an articular cavity containing fluid. The joint also includes the articular bag, synovial membrane, menisci - cartilage structures that soften shocks during movement and act as shock absorbers.
The largest joint in the human body is the knee joint. Diseases can affect any of its components. The knee joint is formed by the union of three bones - the femur, tibia and the patella, which is often called the patella. In addition, the knee joint is also the most complex in structure - in the process of flexion, the patella lies in a special recess formed by the external and internal protrusion of the femur.
Structure of the knee joint
The surfaces of all three bones of the joint (patella, femur and tibia) are covered with cartilage, which ensures the process of sliding.
From the outside, the joint is limited by a capsule - the synovial membrane. The synovial fluid in the synovial capsule nourishes and lubricates the cartilage, facilitates the sliding process, and keeps the knee joint he althy for a long time. Diseases, however, occur in this part of the knee. Synovial fluid can become inflamed due to infections or injuries, against which backgroundbursitis is formed.
The strong position of the bones relative to each other is provided by the ligaments of the knee joint, among which:
- anterior cruciate ligament,
- posterior cruciate ligament,
- inner lateral ligament,
- outer lateral ligament.
Bags, often referred to as bursae, also help muscles and tendons glide easily when moving. Allocate the main bursae:
- hamstring bag,
- pouch of the semimembranosus muscle,
- semimembranosus own pouch,
- suprapatellar bag,
- patellar bag deep,
- prepatellar subcutaneous bursa.
What diseases of the knee joint are most common in medical practice, we will consider further. It should be noted that in most cases, the main symptom of all pathologies is pain.
Causes of pain
Pain in the knee joint occurs for a number of reasons, which can be conditionally grouped into four groups. These include:
- Fracture of the patella, contusion of the knee joint, osteochondral fracture – i.e. injury.
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Diseases of the knee joint, as well as pathologies of the structure of the knee joint, which include:
- gonarthrosis - arthrosis of the knee joint;
- meniscus pathology – meniscopathy, meniscus cyst, Baker's cyst;
- dysplasia of protrusions (condyles) of the bone;
- Koenig's disease;
- bursitis in the knee areajoint;
- Osgood-Schlatter disease;
- popliteal tenopathy, etc.
- Pathologies and injuries of various body systems that cause radiating pain in the knee joint. Such pathologies can be diseases of the spine, injuries of the hip joint, etc.
- Systemic diseases, eg lupus erythematosus, Charcot's arthropathy, Paget's disease, fibromyalgia. In addition to systemic pathology, tuberculosis or Lyme disease, a disorder classified as an infectious disease of the knee, can lead to pain.
Treatment of almost all diseases of the knee is based on several principles - to relieve pain, swelling; strengthen bones; increase the physical activity of a person. However, we must remember that it is important to lead a he althy lifestyle, because the following factors contribute to the occurrence of diseases of the knee joint:
- overweight;
- excessive exercise;
- diseases of the musculoskeletal system - congenital or acquired during life;
- professional sports;
- age (older people are more likely to suffer from joint diseases);
- gender sign (female).
Insufficient physical activity during the working day is a hallmark of office work. Immobility, a long stay in an uncomfortable position provoke an excessive load on the joints and cause pain, discomfort and gradual destruction of cartilage. Therefore, office workers are advised to do gymnastics regularly, and they also need to receive funds,protecting and restoring cartilaginous tissue, chondroprotectors. For example, the Glucosamine-Maximum dietary supplement, a chondroprotector containing two active substances, has proven itself well: glucosamine and chondroitin. They are natural structural elements of he althy cartilage tissue, are well absorbed due to their natural nature and stimulate the processes of metabolism in cartilage cells, restoring the structure of cartilage tissue.
NOT A DRUG
Let's take a closer look at the most common diseases of the knee joint.
What is arthritis?
In the first place in terms of the number of cases of disability due to diseases of the knee, there is a well-known disease - arthritis of the knee joint. Pathology affects all elements of the knee - the synovial membrane, capsule, cartilage. Left untreated, arthritis can lead to the loss of a person's ability to move normally. There are several forms of arthritis:
- rheumatoid arthritis is a form of pathology, the causes of which are not fully understood;
- post-traumatic arthritis is a pathology that develops against the background of injuries;
- reactive arthritis is a disease that occurs as a result of infection of tissues after suffering poisoning of the body;
- deforming arthritis is a pathology that is formed against the background of disorders and failures of the circulatory system;
- gouty arthritis is a disease caused by metabolic disorders in the body.
Also distinguishprimary arthritis, which occurs directly in the joint as a result of an injury, and secondary arthritis, in which the inflammatory process begins in any tissues of the body, and with the flow of lymph or blood enters the knee joint.
Symptoms of pathology. Arthritis Treatment Approaches
In addition to pain during the disease, swelling and redness are observed, sometimes purulent processes occur, accompanied by increased body temperature.
Treatment for arthritis is primarily aimed at relieving pain, swelling and restoring the motor ability of the knee joint. These measures are achieved by the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, warming ointments, as well as restorative medicines.
Good results in therapy are given by physiotherapy, massage, exercise therapy. I must say that these measures are prescribed only during the period of remission of the disease, when acute inflammatory processes are not observed in the body. In case of failure of conservative methods of treatment, they resort to surgical intervention.
In combination with traditional methods in the treatment of arthritis, traditional medicine recipes using plant materials as the basis for compresses, tinctures and ointments are often used.
Osteoarthritis of the knee
Consider another fairly common disease of the knee joint - gonarthrosis. This pathology leads to the occurrence of an inflammatory process in the body, as a result of which the cartilage tissue of the knee is destroyed, accompanied by its deformation anddysfunction. Mostly the disease develops in women, especially in the elderly.
Trigger mechanism for the occurrence of pathology can be concomitant diseases - arthritis, fractures of the bones of the joint, tumor processes.
The course of the disease is usually slow. Pathology develops gradually, and at first the main symptom of gonarthrosis can be only mild pain that appears after a state of rest. The pain goes away on movement, but then, after rest, it reappears. As a rule, with gonarthrosis, osteophytes appear in the muscles, against which cartilage tissues rub when moving. Due to friction, an inflammatory process occurs in the knee area, the skin turns red, and edema forms.
Distinguish between primary and secondary gonarthrosis. The causes of the disease of the knee joints in the first case are not fully understood, the background for the development of the disease can be not only concomitant diseases, but simply the old age of a person. Secondary gonarthrosis is a consequence of a knee joint injury or a complication after an infectious disease.
The main method in the diagnosis of gonarthrosis is radiography. Conservative treatment involves the elimination of pain, for which analgesics are used. Special ointments are used to relieve swelling.
In advanced cases of arthrosis, when one's own cartilage tissue is destroyed, surgical intervention is performed - arthroplasty. In this case, the knee joint is replaced with an artificial structure that allows almostfully restore motor function.
Meniscopathy
Meniscopathy is a disease that develops in physically active people, athletes, and does not depend on age. Favorable conditions for the formation of the pathological process are concomitant diseases - gout, arthritis, diabetes mellitus. Overweight and weak knee ligaments often contribute to the disease.
Meniscus is a special structure that reduces the load on the joint during active movements. There are inner and outer menisci. According to statistics, the first is damaged less often than the second.
The main symptom in the manifestation of pathology, patients call a click in the knee joint and the acute pain following it. I must say, human physiology is such that at a young age, his menisci are saturated with fluid, so the pain that occurs with meniscopathy is acute and severe. In older age, the pain is weaker. In addition to pain, there is swelling, difficulty in moving.
An effective diagnostic method for meniscopathy is MRI, during which the degree of damage to the meniscus is determined. In case of tearing or pinching, conservative medicine is a sufficient measure. However, a torn meniscus requires surgery.
Periarthritis
Periarthritis is a disease of the ligaments of the knee joint. However, the disease can also affect the muscles and tendons. The cause of the pathology for the most part are concomitant diseases, an imbalance in the work of the endocrine system, repeatedhypothermia of the body, problems with blood vessels.
Manifested periarthritis aching pain, swelling in the knee area, the formation of seals that cause pain when pressed. Patients note discomfort when walking.
Women are characterized by a special form of pathology - periarthritis of the goose foot bursa, in which the internal tendons become inflamed. In this case, neither edema nor deformation of the joint itself occurs. The disease makes itself felt only when wearing high-heeled shoes or when moving on uneven surfaces.
Periarthritis is a disease of the knee joint, the treatment of which is effective only if it is detected at an early stage.
To achieve a positive result in therapy, it is recommended to minimize physical activity, get plenty of rest. Non-steroidal drugs, such as Diclofenac, physiotherapy, help relieve pain.
Tendinitis of the knee
Tendinitis of the knee is a condition that causes inflammation of the tendon tissue where it attaches to the bone. The disease occurs in physically active people, in professional athletes, as well as in children and the elderly.
Favorable factors for the development of pathology can be:
- reduced protective functions of the body and various functional disorders of the body;
- imbalance of the muscular system;
- injury or bruising of the knee;
- great physical activity;
- fungal infections.
Tendinitis can occur on one leg orsimultaneously on both. At the same time, the affected joint often reacts to changes in the weather - there is pain, swelling, creaking when moving.
To diagnose pathology, a whole range of studies is used, it all depends on what caused tendinitis. For example, if the pathology was formed as a result of s alt deposition, it will be easy to identify it through x-rays. If tendonitis was the result of infectious diseases, laboratory tests will be an effective measure to detect the disease.
Treatment methods for tendonitis depend on the stage of the disease. At first, conservative methods are effective - drug treatment (non-steroidal drugs with anti-inflammatory effect), physiotherapy procedures - magnets, electrophoresis. Yoga gives a good effect in the treatment of the knee joint. When the course of the disease is neglected, they resort to surgical intervention.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease in which inflammation of the connective tissue occurs. The exact causes of the pathology have not been established. It is known that people with poor heredity, as well as people with low immunity, are at risk. Frequent hypothermia of the body, stress, psycho-emotional stress increase the likelihood of the onset of the disease. The disease manifests itself in both men and women, while the age factor does not affect the incidence statistics in any way.
The course of the disease can be called unhurried. Rheumatoid arthritis does not occur spontaneously over days or weeks, butdevelops gradually. It all starts with a feeling of stiffness in the knee after a long period of rest (for example, after a night's rest). When the weather changes, pain may appear that affects the knee joint. Diseases of this kind occur in several stages. Each phase of the disease has its own signs, but a common manifestation of the disease at all stages of development is a pain symptom.
Stages of development of the disease. Diagnosis
At first, swelling, thickening appear in the area of the knee joint, and a pain symptom occurs. Sometimes a person's body temperature rises.
Further development of rheumatoid arthritis affects the synovial membrane - it thickens due to the active division of inflamed cells.
In advanced cases of the disease, bone tissue is damaged, as well as cartilage. Severe pain occurs, deformation of the knee joint occurs, a violation of its motor function.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a rather dangerous disease, in the absence of treatment of which disability occurs, and in some cases death of a person. Such consequences arise due to severe complications that the disease gives to other organs and systems of the body - kidney failure develops, infectious processes spread.
Diagnosis of the disease is based on several methods:
- external examination, which helps to identify symptoms such as swelling in the knee area, redness of the skin, obvious joint deformity;
- biochemical analysisblood;
- radiography.
Pain symptom in rheumatoid arthritis is eliminated by the use of non-steroidal drugs with anti-inflammatory effect. If the onset of the disease is associated with the spread of infection in the body, antibiotics are prescribed. Regular massage helps to get rid of pain, as well as performing therapeutic exercises.
Bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammatory disease of the synovial sac (bursa). Pathology occurs as a result of a knee injury, as well as with constant activity of the joint due to heavy physical exertion. Bursitis can be the result of an infectious disease. As a result of the inflammatory process, fluid with a dangerous microflora accumulates in the synovial sac. Gradually, pain occurs in the knee joint, when pressing on the knee area, a person also experiences discomfort, a feeling of stiffness appears when moving. A noticeable swelling forms around the joint, the size of which can reach 10 cm.
Patients with bursitis report loss of appetite, malaise, and in some cases, body temperature may rise. Symptoms of bursitis are very similar to those of other diseases of the knee joint, in particular arthritis. However, there is one important difference between these two pathologies. With bursitis, motor activity and the ability to perform flexion and extension movements are preserved.
In addition to an external examination, to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe a competent treatment regimen, a puncture is performed - fluid is taken frombursa for research.
The initial stages of the course of the disease respond well to treatment. Therapy includes compresses, various body wraps, bed rest is shown to patients. If the disease has become chronic, it is important to remove the accumulated fluid from the knee and rinse the cavity.
Gout and Paget's disease
Gout is a disease that occurs as a result of a violation of urinary metabolism in the body and an increased content of uric acid in the blood. Factors that increase the risk of developing pathology include excessive consumption of fish and meat, as well as alcohol.
Gout is predominantly found in men. The disease is manifested by sharp pain, redness of the skin in the area of the knee joint. Nodules form in the muscles, which are accumulations of uric acid.
Gout is diagnosed with a biochemical blood test, as well as through x-rays. During therapy, in addition to medication, the patient is prescribed a special diet (foods high in purine are removed from the diet), physical and emotional rest is prescribed.
When Paget's disease occurs, abnormal bone formation occurs, as a result of which the skeleton is deformed, the bones become very fragile.
Pathology often affects the tubular bones of the lower extremities, resulting in pain in the knees. The disease mostly worries men, especially the elderly.
Diagnosing a disease is not easy, as there are cases when the patient does not notice any manifestations of pathology.
In the diagnosis, a biochemical blood test plays a key role, which, in the presence of this disease in the body, shows an increased content of a special enzyme - phosphatase. Additionally, an X-ray examination is carried out.
Treatment involves minimizing the complications that Paget's disease causes. The aim of the therapy is to strengthen the bones as much as possible. This is achieved by taking calcium supplements. Patients with Paget's disease should follow a diet, do physical therapy exercises, and avoid injuries that can lead to fractures.
Thus, in the article we examined the main pathological conditions affecting the knee joint. Diseases of the knee, however, in practice are even more diverse. All this many diseases are united by common signs - with pathologies, a person experiences stiffness in movement and pain, swelling often occurs at the site of the disease. In order to prevent the development of diseases, it is important to initially monitor your he alth, eat right, prevent the formation of systemic pathologies in the body, and not bring the body to a state of obesity.
When the first signs of the disease appear, you should not postpone going to a specialist, because early diagnosis of the disease is the key to a successful recovery.
