Ithe essence of degenerative joint disease (arthritis) is destruction of cartilage, which is connected to a "shock absorber" device and glides onto the bone surface during movement. The damaged cartilage can no longer protect the joint. At the same time, the joint often becomes inflamed, then becomes deformed and limits its mobility. The main symptom is pain and stiffness of the joint. This leads to a deterioration in the quality of life and to illegality.
Degenerative disease is very common, it affects major women, especially after the age of 55.
The most common include and are the knee joints, hip joints, joints of the hands, feet and feet.
What substances can cause osteoarthritis?
Factors that can be checked:
Factors that cannot be prevented:
What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?
Pain – mechanical pain is typical, occurring when the joint is moved and disappearing with rest; gets worse at the end of the day. The biggest problem occurs at the beginning of movement (so-called starting pain), e.g. when getting up from a chair or starting to walk. Typically, pain is felt in the affected joint, less often in another location (e.g. in the case of hip joint degeneration, pain in the groin or knee pain may occur).
It must be distinguished from the so-called inflammatory pain, which indicates an exacerbation of the disease. Inflammatory pain also occurs at rest, intensifies at night and in the morning, and is often associated with joint effusion. It requires diagnosis (differentiation from other joint diseases) and sparing of the affected joint.
Stiffness – the so-called morning stiffness (after waking up), usually disappearing within 5-10 minutes. It may recur throughout the day after a period of inactivity ("start-up" stiffness).
Limited mobility - the affected joints gradually lose their full range of motion, e.g. there is a problem with straightening or bending knee or abduction of the leg at the hip joint. Movement in the joint may also be suddenly blocked by fragments of detached cartilage or bone spurs. Deterioration of the functioning of the diseased joint leads to atrophy of the surrounding muscles and disability.
Crackling – may be felt during joint movements due to the friction of uneven joint surfaces.
Fig. 3. Varus deformity of the left knee joint as a result of degenerative disease of this joint.
Fig. 4. Characteristic changes in the hands in degenerative disease: Heberdens nodes in most fingers of both hands, Bouchards node in the third finger of the left hand (see also below).
Fig. 5. Heberdens nodes and Bouchards nodes.
Distortion - and widening of the contours - results from a change in the joint axis, the formation of bone growths (osteophytes), effusion (see photos).
Treatment methods:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Physical exercise
- Joint relief
- Oral medications: e.g. paracetamol
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate
- Glucocorticosteroids – their action is to inhibit the inflammatory process; Due to side effects (risk of joint damage, occasional infection), they cannot be administered more than 3-4 times a year to one joint,
- Hyaluronic acid – a component of normal synovial fluid; after its administration, pain relief may persist for several months; it is administered to the knee joint, but the effectiveness of its administration to other joints is also tested.
Surgical treatment is considered in the case of advanced degenerative disease that significantly limits life activity, causes pain and does not respond to previous treatments. In the case of degenerative disease of the knee or hip, the diseased joint is most often replaced with an artificial prosthesis (so-called joint arthroplasty)
Source: www.mp.pl