Mediopatellar fold syndrome of the knee joint is an inflammatory process, which is characterized by the development of pain in the affected area. A feature of the pathology is that both knee joints are affected at once. Lack of treatment can lead to disability, so early diagnosis is important here. According to ICD-10, the pathology has the code M22.2 and is characterized as inflammation of the mediopatellar fold.
A bit about anatomy
Mediopatellar fold is a thickening of the synovial membrane located in the inner part of the knee joint. With the help of it, bones are formed during the development of the fetus.
If the fold is damaged, then the patient experiences pain, which manifests itself mainly only after strong physical exertion on the joint.
When pain and discomfort appear
One of the main causes of inflammation is frequentand excessive stress on the knee joint. The provocateurs of the development of the syndrome are:
- Frequent and repeated for a long time flexion and extension of the knee joint.
- Inflammatory processes that occur with diseases such as arthritis and synovitis.
- Injuries to cartilage, ligaments and meniscus, irritation of adipose tissue. Injuries to the inside of the knee joint, which can be provoked by a ball while playing football, a traffic accident, a kick to the knee during a fight.
- Impaired blood supply.
- In some cases, the development of the mediopatellar fold syndrome may be associated with congenital pathologies of the knee joint.
Risk groups
The risk group for mediopatellar fold syndrome of the knee includes people who regularly play sports and go to the gym. The main sports that can cause knee problems are:
- running;
- cycling;
- jumps, which provide overload of the knee joint.
Often this syndrome develops in people whose work involves a long stay on their feet.
Pathology can also occur in athletes with old injuries affecting the meniscus, knee joint and cruciate ligament.
Symptomatic manifestations
The main signs indicating the development of mediopatellar fold syndrome are:
- Pain in the anterior inner part of the knee joint, which may occur after prolonged sitting. The pain is often drawing and aching.
- Clicking and crunching in the joint.
- Feeling of heaviness in the knee.
Diagnosis of pathology
At the initial stage, the disease is very difficult to distinguish from any other damage to the knee joint, for example, from a normal bruise. In this regard, if the development of the syndrome of the mediopatellar fold of the knee joint is suspected, it is recommended to conduct such instrumental examination methods as:
- Magnetic resonance imaging. This method allows you to find out the exact location of the focus of inflammation. You can also use computed tomography.
- Research with ultrasound. It helps determine how badly a joint is affected.
- X-ray. Using this method, the nature of the changes developing in the joint cavity and cartilage tissue is assessed.
Drug therapy for pathology
Treatment of mediopatellar fold syndrome with medications can be effective only at the initial stage, when pathological tissue destruction has not yet occurred.
In the process of treatment, the affected area is treated and drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect are taken. This group of drugs eliminatespain syndrome, and also help prevent the destructive process.
As pain relievers, analgesics are used, which have both local and systemic effects on the body. However, it is important to remember that it is strictly forbidden to use drugs that have a warming effect, as they can only accelerate the pathological process.
To eliminate the pain syndrome, ordinary ice also helps, which must be applied to the affected area. With the help of ice, swelling of the joint can also be eliminated. If neither medication nor ice helps, your doctor may recommend an intra-articular injection of a 1% lidocaine solution. But during the procedure, the drug should not be injected directly into the mediopatellar fold.
In combination with drug therapy, the use of physiotherapy is recommended. It helps to eliminate the syndrome of the mediopatellar fold of the knee joint, and in the future to stop the inflammatory process. The main methods of physiotherapy in this case are:
- Phonophoresis, magnetotherapy and iontophoresis.
- UV irradiation and ultra-high frequency inductothermy.
It is important to remember that in the treatment of mediopatellar fold syndrome, all physical activity on the knee joint should be canceled. If you carefully follow all the prescriptions of a specialist, then recovery can occur within 4-6 weeks after the development of the pathology.
Surgery
If treatmentthe mediopatellar fold with medications did not give the proper result, and the pathology dragged on for several months, in this case, surgical intervention is recommended.
This method of surgical intervention is called arthroscopy. During the procedure, the doctor inserts an arthroscope into the knee joint through pre-made punctures, which is connected to a special video camera. Thanks to the built-in video camera, the internal cavity of the knee joint is displayed on the monitor, and under the control of the arthroscope, the mediopatellar fold is completely removed.
During arthroscopy, a complete diagnosis of the joint can be made and, if necessary, repair of other damage to the knee joint, such as torn meniscus or ligaments.
The recovery period after the surgical intervention to remove the mediopatellar fold lasts no more than a month and a half. During it, physical exercises are used to help maintain optimal muscle tone.
Gymnastic exercises
The choice of gymnastic exercises for the syndrome of the mediopatellar fold of the knee joint depends entirely on the nature of the violations and on the extent to which the pathological process develops.
All classes must be conducted under the strict supervision of a physiotherapist, and only in a hospital setting. A course of physical therapy helps eliminate pain, stop the inflammatory process and normalize blood circulation in the problem area.
During classrecommended exercises to strengthen the medial part of the thigh, as well as those that increase the elasticity of the tendons and ligaments.
The inflammatory process that develops in the knee joint with mediopatellar fold syndrome is very dangerous and can lead to the destruction of cartilage tissue, which can subsequently threaten the patient with disability. Therefore, at the first symptoms, you should immediately visit a doctor. Timely treatment will greatly speed up the healing process.
