Adults often have a pathology such as arthritis of the knee joint. This is an inflammatory disease that has various causes. The knee joint is relatively large. Inflammation can occur against the background of rheumatism, gout and many other disorders.
Incorrect treatment can lead to loss of performance and limited movement in the knee area. Prolonged course of the disease often leads to disability. Therapy must be comprehensive, with the obligatory observance of all the doctor's recommendations.
Features of the disease
The development of arthritis of the knee joint is often associated with non-infectious factors. Its difference from arthrosis lies in the fact that it is based on inflammation of the tissues, and not their destruction. When arthritis occurs, structures located outside and inside the joint are involved in the course of this process.
The highest incidence occurs in people under 30 years of age. However, articular tissue damage can also occur inteenagers. One or two joints may be involved in the pathological process. Arthritis can be acute or chronic.
Primary lesion is caused by injury or penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the articular cavity. The secondary form occurs as a result of other disorders and systemic diseases. This disease is accompanied by pain, inflammation, swelling.
Main species
There are many different types of knee arthritis (treatment photo below), but the most common types are:
- osteoarthritis;
- post-traumatic;
- reactive;
- rheumatoid;
- gouty;
- age;
- juvenile.
Arthrosis-arthritis of the knee joint develops against the background of inflammation, and at the same time, signs of infectious processes in tissues, as well as dystrophic changes in muscles and bones, may additionally appear. The post-traumatic form may occur as a result of a previous trauma. This disrupts the normal functioning of the articular cartilage. As a result, tissue inflammation develops.
The reactive form of the course of the disease can develop as a result of infection from the intestines. Rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint occurs mainly as a result of autoimmune diseases. In addition, it may be a complication after a previously transferred angina. In some cases, the rheumatoid form in children is formed against the background ofallergies or thyroid dysfunction. The main danger lies in the defeat of the heart muscle.
The gouty form is formed by the deposition of s alts, which occurs when there is a metabolic disorder. The cause of the age-related form is the mechanical wear of cartilage tissue. A similar manifestation is observed in older people. Juvenile arthritis mostly occurs in children older than 8 years. Depending on the type of tissue damage, such forms can be distinguished as:
- dry;
- serous;
- purulent;
- serous hemorrhagic.
Depending on the type of arthrosis of the knee joint, there may be a variety of symptoms. That is why it is important to recognize the course of inflammation in a timely manner and treat it.
Development stages
There are 3 degrees of arthritis of the knee joint, characterized by a feature of tissue damage. At the initial stage of the course of the disorder, pain and discomfort are undulating and often disturb the patient early in the morning or when the weather changes. The images show thinning of the bones, thickening of the muscle tissue, as well as a slight narrowing of the joint space.
In the second stage, pathological changes become more pronounced, and there is also pain and swelling of the tissues. The mobility of the leg is limited. The picture shows the drying of cartilage, erosion and narrowing of the lumen.
When the third stage occurs, there is severe muscle dystrophy, bone deformation, accelerated growth of connective tissue, as well as proliferationosteophytes. In addition, there is the deposition of s alts in the joints. Cartilage tissues are very strongly destroyed. If timely treatment is not carried out, then the disease becomes chronic.
Causes of occurrence
Arthritis of the knee joint can develop as an independent disease or in the course of concomitant diseases. There are many reasons why pathology can occur, in particular, the presence of various disorders in the body greatly complicates the course of secondary arthritis. For example, they include such as:
- psoriasis;
- hepatitis;
- lupus erythematosus;
- Reiter's disease.
The development and course of primary arthritis is influenced by factors such as:
- viral infections;
- allergy;
- hypercooling of the body;
- joint damage.
Inflammation is often associated with injuries. Causes can be bruise, blow. Sometimes symptoms of knee arthritis appear after surgery. Damage can be caused by allergies. This occurs after the administration of serum and vaccine, as well as the intake of certain medications.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of knee arthritis can vary widely. In particular, these include:
- pain;
- temperature increase;
- reddening of the skin;
- puffiness;
- difficulty moving.
These are just some of the signs of inflammation. With a purulent form, symptoms of arthritis and arthrosisknee joint are somewhat similar and include:
- weakness;
- muscle pain;
- fever;
- chill;
- malaise.
Among additional signs are increased sweating, stiffness of movements, a feeling of heaviness in the legs. In especially difficult and neglected cases, periarticular phlegmon may develop, which threatens with very dangerous manifestations. Often there are abscesses. In the absence of timely treatment, disability may occur, and the disease becomes chronic.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which is a systemic connective tissue disease with significant joint damage, is very common. Over time, it can provoke ankylosis. The underlying cause of this disease has not yet been fully established. Such a pathology has certain features, in particular, such as:
- not treated with antibiotics;
- differs in acute manifestation;
- has no seasonality;
- manifested by swollen lymph nodes and fever.
The severity of signs largely depends on the activity of the pathology. The main signs are: stiffness that lasts no more than 30 minutes, swelling of the joints, fever, pain.
The color of the skin in the knee area does not change. Extra-articular manifestations include the formation of subcutaneous nodules, weight loss, weakness, enlargement of the liver in size. At the initial stagesmall joints are affected.
Knee joints can be affected by psoriasis. Along with the joints, damage to the nails and skin is observed. Therapy in this case is aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. In some cases, lupus arthritis may develop. It differs in that there are no obvious signs of inflammation. The temperature and shade of the skin does not change at all. Swelling and pain are absent. Changes are detected during instrumental examinations. Bleeding, damage to internal organs, and hair loss may occur.
Diagnostics
If you experience pain and swelling in the area of the knee joint, you should definitely contact a traumatologist, orthopedist or surgeon. In order to be able to accurately diagnose arthrosis or arthritis of the knee joint, the doctor prescribes a number of studies, namely:
- complete blood count;
- antibody tests;
- blood biochemistry;
- skin tests;
- Mantoux test;
- diagnosis of synovial fluid.
If a urinary infection is suspected, a urinalysis will be required. In addition, ultrasound, tomography, x-rays may be required. Only with a comprehensive examination can it be determined how to treat knee arthritis in order to prevent the occurrence of dangerous complications.
Features of treatment
Treatment of arthrosis and arthritis of the knee joints is carried out with the help of medicationdrugs, folk methods, therapeutic exercises, as well as physiotherapy. For therapy, drugs such as:
- antibiotics;
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- glucocorticoids;
- cytostatics.
The choice of drug largely depends on the cause of the disease. If the inflammation is due to gonorrhea, then antibacterial agents are mainly used. Requires immobilization of the affected joint and the use of dry heat. Exercise therapy is required to restore joint mobility.
The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis of the knee has its own characteristics. The scheme of therapy involves the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, cytostatics, glucocorticoids. During the period of remission, massage is indicated. To speed up recovery, it is imperative to follow proper nutrition.
Medicated treatment
Treatment of arthritis is carried out mainly by the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, which include hormonal agents and ascorbic acid. If the disease was provoked by an infectious process, then antibiotics are prescribed. The main drugs in this group are penicillins. In the presence of severe pain, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is indicated, in particular, such as Diclofenac, Voltaren, Nurofen, Ortofen, Retard.
For external use, the doctor prescribes creams, ointments, andalso various compresses aimed at eliminating pain, reducing swelling, normalizing blood circulation in the knee. Often, drugs such as Fastum Gel and Bystrumgel are prescribed. In especially severe cases, the use of injections for arthritis, in particular anesthetics, is required. Often, injections are given into the joint cavity. In this case, drugs containing anti-inflammatory substances and hormones are used.
Folk techniques
How to treat arthritis of the knee joint at home - very many patients suffering from this disease are interested. Therapy with folk methods is painless and quite effective.
The most common means are compresses made from heated flax, as well as cabbage leaves with honey. You can use rubbing and lotions from the alcohol tincture of dry cinquefoil. In summer, it is advisable to apply burdock and coltsfoot leaves at night.
You can take inside a decoction of oats. This remedy helps to remove toxic substances and is used mainly for infectious arthritis.
Treatment of arthritis of the knee joint at home involves physiotherapy exercises. Gymnastics includes performing a simple set of exercises. They must be done very carefully, excluding excessive loads and sudden movements, with the main emphasis on stretching. Before carrying out a set of exercises, it is imperative to perform a light kneading massage. However, before using anymeans and methods, you should definitely consult with your doctor so as not to provoke a deterioration in well-being.
Physiotherapy techniques
Physiotherapy is widely used, as well as hardware treatment methods, in particular, such as:
- laser therapy;
- plasmapheresis;
- massage;
- hydrotherapy;
- cryotherapy.
Physiotherapy helps eliminate pain and inflammation in the joints. In addition, such techniques normalize blood circulation, and also prevent muscle atrophy. The doctor may prescribe immobilization of the leg by applying a splint. Such techniques should be used as an addition to the main therapy, but in no case should replace medication.
Surgery
In especially severe cases, surgical intervention is indicated. In particular, methods such as:
- articular cavity drainage;
- Arthroplasty;
- arthroscopy;
- necrectomy;
- synovectomy.
During the operation, removal of excess fluid, removal of s alt crystals, excision of the synovial bag can be performed. The method of therapy is selected exclusively by the attending doctor, depending on the available indications and the stage of the course of the disease.
Features of food
Proper nutrition has a very good effect on the condition of bone and cartilage tissue and joints. It is recommended to consume as many foods as possible containing in theircomposition of vitamins C, A, B and E. Very useful will be:
- porridge;
- fish;
- fruit;
- vegetables;
- liver;
- fermented milk products;
- leafy greens.
You need to stop drinking alcohol, strong tea, coffee, s alty, smoked food. It is important to minimize your s alt intake. To get a better result, you need to undergo complex therapy so that you can normalize your overall well-being.
Prophylaxis
The effectiveness of drug therapy is not always high enough, which is why it is much easier to prevent the occurrence of inflammation. To reduce the likelihood of developing arthritis, you need to follow rules such as:
- good nutrition;
- sports;
- drink plenty of fluids;
- quit alcohol and smoking;
- avoid injury;
- treat existing diseases in a timely manner.
Dieting is important. Proper nutrition will help to avoid the occurrence of intestinal infections, as well as gouty inflammation of the articular cavity. In the case of arthritis, it is imperative to carry out complex treatment.
An important measure of prevention is to increase immunity. This will prevent the spread of pathogens and inflammation of the knee joint.
Possible Complications
Arthritis of the knee joint is very dangerous because it can turn intochronic form. Relapses of inflammation not only significantly reduce the quality of life, but also lead to the spread of the disease to other groups of joints. This can result in polyarthritis.
In the absence of comprehensive treatment, disability and even death of the patient may occur.
