Throughout life, a person is forced to face a variety of ailments in one way or another. Some people are more fortunate and suffer only from the seasonal flu. Others are forced to visit polyclinics and hospitals very often.
According to the ICD, knee synovitis is an inflammation of the membrane that covers the joints. With the development of this pathology, the accumulation of joint fluids occurs, which leads to unpleasant sensations and pain symptoms. As a rule, such a problem is most often encountered by those people who experience heavy loads on their legs while moving. Let us consider in more detail the features of the manifestation and symptoms of synovitis of the knee joint. Let's also try to figure out why such an ailment occurs in some people.
Reasons for appearance
If we talk about the factors that lead to this disease, they can be very diverse. For example, inflammation of the membrane may be the result of a serious injury to the joints. In some cases, pathogens enter the cavity, which can also cause synovitis of the knee joint. Sometimes duringIn medical practice, there are cases when a foreign body even got into the articular cavity. It is impossible to list all the factors influencing the development of this pathology. In addition, this disease has not yet been fully studied by specialists.
However, to clarify the picture, it is worth listing the most common causes of knee synovitis.
Injuries
Because of such phenomena, it often happens that the integrity of the joint capsule is violated. Most often, the weaker membrane material is damaged. Therefore, damage usually falls on the knee joint. This is also due to the fact that it always has the maximum load. The knee joint almost never rests, so in some situations it becomes the “weakest link”.
If we consider post-traumatic synovitis of the knee joint, it is worth highlighting:
- Direct injury. So it is customary to call the damage that fell directly on the knee joint. In this case, the patient could only be limited to a bruise. However, if a fracture of the patella or femur occurs, then in the future this may well cause the development of synovitis of the knee joint.
- Indirect injury. In this case, the blow does not fall on the joint itself, but slightly above or below it during rotation of the lower leg. If we are talking about an indirect injury, then in this case there could be a rupture of the joint capsule itself, dislocation, rupture of the meniscus or ligaments.
As a rule, minor injuries lead to bruises. However, sometimes they are accompanied by inflammatoryprocesses or accumulation of a large amount of blood in the joint cavity. This phenomenon is commonly called hemarthrosis.
Infection
In this case, we are talking about infectious synovitis of the knee joint, which can occur against the background of injuries and other phenomena. Under normal conditions, the joint capsule is in an isolated state, so pathogenic bacteria cannot penetrate into it. However, if tissue integrity is compromised, there is a high risk that infections can enter the cavity.
If we talk about the causes of synovitis of the knee joint of an infectious type, then in this case they can cause an illness:
- Koch's wand. In this case, we are talking about an extremely infectious tuberculous microbacterium, which is capable of causing the pathology of the same name. In this case, the patient has damage to the lung tissues and other cavities in the body. In some situations, Koch's wand can even spread to the knee joint, thereby causing the development of the described disease.
- Staphylococcus. This pyogenic bacterium is particularly dangerous, as it causes a wide variety of purulent-type diseases. It is noteworthy that staphylococcus is found on the mucous membranes of almost every person. If he has no problems with the protective functions of the body, then this bacterium does not manifest itself in any way. However, with a poor barrier function of the skin or due to a weakened immune system, the bacterium can provoke a wide variety of ailments. For example, its activation can lead to sinusitis, bronchitis, rhinitis, and evenpneumonia. If staphylococcus gets to the knee joint, then arthritis or synovitis cannot be avoided.
- Streptococcus. This species also belongs to the bacteria of the pyogenic type. When immunity is weakened, microorganisms provoke scarlet fever, pneumonia, tonsillitis and other unpleasant ailments, including synovitis as well.
Comorbidities
Sometimes the cause of this disease is that a person suffers from acquired or genetic ailments.
For example, synovitis of the knee joint can develop against the background of the following diseases:
- Bursitis. In this case, the pathology manifests itself in the form of inflammation of the knee capsules. Such ailments can be triggered by trauma, mechanical irritation of the joint, penetration of an infectious virus into the cavity. However, sometimes pathology develops for no apparent reason. Most often, bursitis manifests itself in the shoulder joints, but in some cases the disease migrates to the lower extremities of a person. It also provokes the formation of excess fluid in the cavities, causing extreme discomfort.
- Hemophilia. This ailment is hereditary. In this case, we are talking about disorders that lead to poor blood clotting. Against the background of hemophilia, hemorrhages can occur in muscles, tissues, internal organs and joints. This can happen even with the smallest injury. For example, a hemorrhage can be triggered by a simple dental procedure to remove a wisdom tooth. Sometimes such eventsoccur completely spontaneously. As a rule, men suffer from hemophilia more often, while the fair sex can only be carriers of the abnormal gene.
- Gout. This pathology can develop depending on a variety of factors. With gout, uric acid crystals settle in various cavities, negatively affecting the condition of the joints and tissues. Because of this phenomenon, inflammatory processes begin, which lead to rather severe pain symptoms. In this case, lesions most often affect the joints of the lower extremities of a person. As a rule, the most obvious pain in gout are at night, when a person is resting. At the same time, patients complain of swelling, redness and very strong pain syndromes.
- Gonorrhea. This viral disease is sexually transmitted and has a negative effect on the mucous membranes of the genitourinary system of men and women. As a rule, the first signs of this disease can be noticed after a few days. Patients note that they often begin to go to the toilet "in a small way." Also, unpleasant mucus is secreted from the genitals. In this case, there is a burning sensation in the urethra. It is worth noting that in addition to synovitis, this pathology can also provoke infertility, so you should seek immediate treatment at the first sign of illness.
- Syphilis. This is another infectious disease that can be obtained through unprotected intercourse. With the development of this disease, lesions affect not only the genitals and reproductive function, but alsocan manifest itself in many other body systems. For example, on internal organs, tissues, joints and muscles. Without proper treatment, syphilis develops to its critical point, when it affects almost all human organs.
Overweight
Synovitis can also develop if a person is overweight. This is because in such a situation, huge loads are placed on the joints of the legs, while these organs are designed for easier tasks. If a person suffers from increased body weight, then this provokes constant microtraumatism. This negatively affects the state of the entire ligamentous and articular apparatus of the patient's body.
Therefore, it is recommended to determine your body index and develop a sparing diet that will help get rid of obesity. It is best to consult a specialist with this issue. You need to understand that increased body weight can lead not only to synovitis, but also to more serious diseases of the cardiovascular apparatus.
Knee synovitis symptoms
If we talk about the manifestations of pathology, then everything depends, first of all, on the causes of this disease. With the manifestation of this disease against the background of injuries, the first manifestations of synovitis can follow within a few days (and sometimes weeks) after the bruise. In this case, the patient may not be able to compare the injuries he received with the symptoms of this pathology.
First of all, patients pay attention to the fact thatthe knee joint increases significantly in size. This is due to the accumulation of excess fluid. At the same time, the pronounced corners of the knee are gradually smoothed out and rounded. This is due to deformity of the joint. However, approximately the same symptoms are observed with hemarthrosis (when blood accumulates, and not other fluid). Distinguishing these two ailments is quite simple. With the appearance of hemarthrosis, the knee joint becomes very large, but if we are talking about synovitis, then such a strong swelling does not occur.
Another obvious symptom of this disease is that it becomes more difficult for a person to move around. Since the fluid accumulates directly from the articular bag of the knee, this leads to the fact that a person cannot fully walk. In addition, during walking and during rest, quite strong pain sensations can appear. In this case, the pain can be either dull or more intense. It all depends on the specific diagnosis. For example, with the development of moderate synovitis of the knee joint, patients experience much less discomfort.
If we talk about other external manifestations, then the disease does not affect the change in the color of the skin. Also, there is no increase in body temperature and other consequences.
However, if we are talking about purulent synovitis, then in this case the symptoms will be completely different. First of all, it is worth noting the strong pain. In this case, the pain will be quite sharp, throbbing. In this case, there will be a sharp change in the skincover. The knee joint will turn bright red. If you touch it, the skin will be hot. Over time, fluid and pus build up even more, causing the skin to tighten and increase the size of the knee. In some cases, the limb may even turn blue. In this situation, the patient practically cannot move, and experiences severe pain. If urgent treatment of synovitis of the knee joint is not started, this can lead to fever and general infectious poisoning of the body. Therefore, it is better not to delay this issue.
Methods of treatment and diagnosis
After contacting a doctor, it will be possible to draw up a course of therapy that will help get rid of an unpleasant ailment. If we talk about the diagnosis of synovitis of the knee joint, then for this the doctor must take some periarticular fluid. After that, the source material is sent for research, during which possible infections can be detected. Also, experts check the transparency of the liquid and its composition. There is a possibility that the material contains proteins or red blood cells.
Based on the data obtained, the specialist can make a more accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment for synovitis of the knee joint. As a rule, it is a puncture and drug treatment. However, if the drugs did not give the desired result, then surgical intervention is indispensable.
Puncture
This procedure is performed both for the diagnosis of the disease and for its treatment. The principle of this procedure is that the accumulated liquid is sucked out ofknee joint. At the next stage, antibiotics are injected into the freed cavity, which are necessary in order to prevent the possible development of infection.
As a rule, anesthesia is not required for the puncture. If everything went well, then the patient is sent home, where he must keep the joint immobile and not overstrain the lower limbs.
Medicated treatment
The doctor can develop a course of treatment based on the data from the analysis of the puncture fluid intake. As a rule, anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed in the first place to combat the disease. Among them, Ibuprofen is the most popular. If the doctor suspects a possible infection or just wants to play it safe, then in this case he prescribes antibiotics to the patient, which must be administered intramuscularly. As a rule, these include Cefotaxime and Vancomycin.
You may also need to take glucocorticosteroids and drugs that can improve blood flow microcirculation.
Surgery
If a person suffers from synovitis of the knee joint for the first time, which doctor should I contact? In the event that drug treatment has not yielded any results, the only salvation is the surgeon.
During the surgical intervention, the specialist opens the affected cavity of the knee and removes all the excess material. Both the deformed meniscus itself and the foreign body are removed. Thereafterthe excision of the synovial membrane is performed, and the study of the knee joint is carried out.
After surgery for synovitis of the knee joint, the patient needs to undergo a course of anti-inflammatory and hemostatic therapy. The damaged joint is restored through physiotherapy and physical activities. However, even after surgery, there is a chance of a relapse, so you should not relax.
Also, the operation is performed in the presence of chronic synovitis of the knee joint, in the event of irreversible processes. For example, if foreign compounds have formed or sclerosis of connective tissues has developed. In this case, the intervention of the surgeon is inevitable.
Synovitis of the knee joint: treatment with folk remedies
If we talk about medicinal herbs and fees, then in this situation it is best to use comfrey tincture. You can cook it yourself at home. To do this, 1 spoon of grass is poured with 4 tablespoons of high-quality vodka. After that, the liquid is infused for two weeks. You need to take the medicine 30 drops three times a day.
Compresses and ointments will also help with synovitis of the knee joint. You can also cook them yourself. For example, you can prepare an ointment from 2 tablespoons of comfrey and the same amount of lard. This composition is enough to apply to the affected area.
However, it is best not to wait for the development of the disease, and timely prevent synovitis of the knee joint. To do this, you need to follow a few recommendations.
Preventive measures
To avoid the appearance of synovitis, it is necessary to visit specialists in a timely manner and undergo a scheduled examination. At the same time, it is worth not starting any infectious diseases that occur in the body. Also, experts recommend adhering to a he althy lifestyle, which includes the rejection of bad habits and proper nutrition. Several times a week, you need to perform gymnastic exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles and ligaments of the lower and upper limbs, as they are constantly subjected to increased stress. But do not get involved in power sports. While cycling and doing extreme sports, knees must be protected. Any injury to the limbs can lead to severe consequences.
It is also worth taking vitamin complexes and trying to spend as much time as possible in the fresh air to keep the body in good shape. For any pain that lasts too long, you should immediately consult a doctor. If the development of a purulent infection is allowed, then in this case it will be almost impossible to cope with the disease with the help of medicines or traditional medicine recipes. Therefore, it is better not to risk it.
