Arthropathy of the knee joint is a degenerative damage to the cartilage of the knee joint, so it is destroyed. Arthropathy is the most common pathology, and according to doctors, approximately 80% of people suffer from this pathology more or less. It is the third most common disease after cancer and heart disease. All these indicate that the treatment of knee joint arthropathy has not fully contributed to the elimination of this disease.
Treatment principles
There are several principles in the treatment of knee joint arthropathy, which should be used as the basis for the treatment of the disease:
- During treatment, knee joints damaged by arthropathy must be relieved of excessive physical activity immediately. The cure of knee joint disease is not so easy, but complications can be prevented. If possible, it is usually necessary to limit the movement of the joints and follow the established plan prescribed by the doctor.
- At the same time of treatment, do not take too much care of yourself, lest the muscle tissues start to shrink. It is best to have affordable physical therapy. Which doctor treats the joints, he will give directions to exercise therapy.
- Physical therapy is a great way to improve your baseline treatment. Physical therapy usually includes electrotherapy, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, and shock wave therapy.
- Nursing home treatment is also useful for patients-suffering from joint disease, it is necessary to visit a special resort at least once a year.
- An important treatment is to fill the joints with oxygen. For this, so-called oxygen therapy is performed.
- The main medications were anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics, which caused blockage in the bones.
- An indispensable part of correct and reasonable treatment is to change eating habits, eliminate foods that cause excessive salt in the body, and saturate the body with calcium, minerals and vitamins.
drug
Conservative treatment includes treatment of knee arthropathy of the knee joint:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Cartilage protective agent.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the basis for the treatment of arthropathy. This group of drugs allows you to quickly stop inflammation and eliminate swelling, so that the pain disappears quickly. These drugs have antipyretic and analgesic effects. This is why they are recommended for the treatment of joint disease, including knee osteoarthritis.
The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat DOA (deformative osteoarthritis) of the knee joint are divided into several groups. According to its composition, it can be divided into acidic and non-acidic.
When using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, you need to remember the risk of side effects, so it is strictly forbidden to exceed the dose.
Due to their high efficiency, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been actively used to treat various inflammatory diseases. However, doctors pointed out that they have negative effects. The study revealed their negative effects on the kidneys, heart, blood and digestive tract. This is why doctors try to limit the prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including the treatment of joint disease.
It is very important that the maximum possible dose is reached during the treatment of the disease, which will help suppress the symptoms of extreme pain, but will not bring negative effects. Most people suffer from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs:
- Organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
- blood cells;
- kidney;
- Heart.
From the side of the stomach, complications such as ulcers, indigestion, internal bleeding, and even gastric perforation may occur. As for the liver, liver cells-the main cells of the liver-are damaged. Heart disease manifests as arterial hypertension and edema. In the kidneys, glomerular filtration is reduced and interstitial nephritis may develop. Side effects on the blood are manifested by impaired platelet aggregation and increased risk of bleeding.
Is it possible to completely abandon non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that have a negative effect on the body? It turns out that no, because it is this group that can suppress the first and second stages of arthropathy. Therefore, the negative impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has forced manufacturers to look for a new generation of these drugs.
After research, two generations of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 were isolated, and cyclooxygenase 3 was recently invented, which includes oximes. The negative effects of these drugs are much smaller, so they are actively used to treat deformed joints.
The latest generation of drugs can also effectively treat joint disease without harming the body. The only disadvantage of the new medicine is its higher price. Therefore, with the long-term use of the attending physician, the old drugs will be prescribed probiotic support for the gastrointestinal tract.
Oximus
The representative of the new generation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is the oxicam group.
The oxicam group is the most effective and safest for today's arthropathy patients.
Chondroprotective agent
Chondroprotectants are a group of drugs used to protect cartilage tissue. The mechanism of action is due to the content of the active ingredients that make up these drugs. First of all, these are:
- Glucosamine;
- Chondroitin sulfate.
The effect of chondroitin sulfate is based on the stimulation of the formation of cartilage components. There is also this substance:
- Prevent destructive processes in cartilage tissue;
- Improve the production of intra-articular fluid;
- Has anti-inflammatory effects.
Glucosamine is an essential substance for the synthesis of cartilage tissue. It protects cartilage from free radicals and other factors that damage the integrity of cartilage tissue. In addition, glucosamine can relieve edema and has anti-inflammatory effects.
Cartilage protective agents can repair cartilage tissue, but they must be taken for a long time-at least six months. Another big disadvantage of chondroprotective agents is that they protect more cartilage from destructive effects, but cannot slow down the pathological process that has already started.
Therefore, this group of drugs is only used for active prescription of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the first stage of disease development. There are three generations of chondroprotective agents today, the most famous of which are:
- Preparations from animal cartilage;
- The second generation is a single drug containing purified hyaluronic acid, chondroitin or glucosamine;
- The third generation is a drug combination containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
Today, chondroprotective agents can be used together with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Operation
In some cases, degenerative joint disease of the knee joint is only treated with surgery. Usually, surgery is performed when the patient develops grade 3 knee joint disease. However, if the pain syndrome is very obvious in patients in the second stage of the disease, even if they take painkillers, it is difficult to resolve, and the joint disease is getting worse, then surgery at this stage is the indication.
There are several surgical interventions that can produce the best results for knee joint disease. Each technology has its own characteristics and results.
Arthrodesis is an operation that completely removes the joint tissue and fuse the femur and tibia with the patella. This method of treating knee joint disease is the most thorough, and it is no longer used frequently now, because it limits the patient's mobility.
Another surgery to eliminate knee joint disease is arthroscopic debridement. Treatment includes the removal of dead particles. The disadvantage of this operation is significant-it takes a long time to recover, and the effect of the operation can only be maintained for 1 to 2 years. This kind of surgery can be performed in the second stage of disease development.
Peri-joint osteotomy-if necessary, this operation can be performed to restore joint mobility. During the operation, the surgeon will saw off the bones that hinder free movement and set them at the desired angle.
Therefore, the center of gravity in the bone moves, and the load on the cartilage tissue disappears. Currently, this type of joint surgery is almost not used because it is very complicated and requires a long rehabilitation process. The positive effects of the treatment are also temporary.
The most successful intervention is the endoprosthesis. There is no analogue for arthropathy surgery using an endoprosthesis-it has a long-lasting effect, and patients have forgotten about knee problems for years.
Knee replacement is the most advanced technique. Modern treatment methods can extract cartilage tissue and bone particles affected by pathological processes from patients. Instead, a more powerful and reliable prosthesis was placed. The advantages of this surgery are as follows:
- Can completely restore the patient's motor function;
- There is very little recovery from this operation;
- The prosthesis can be used for about three years.
The only problem with the surgical treatment of arthropathy through the endoprosthesis method is the high cost of materials, because high-quality prostheses are quite expensive. Postoperative treatment is done in the intensive care unit-the patient receives a few days of drainage, from which wound secretions are released.
To relieve the pain, the knee is covered with a special coolant. On the third day, the patient can move during the implantation of the prosthesis, and the patient will continue to receive treatment in the rehabilitation center on the tenth day. After treatment, non-steroidal drugs can be prescribed to relieve pain, and hormone drugs must be bandaged for a period of time.
Comment
To evaluate various treatments, you can read reviews of patients treated in various ways, as well as reviews of patients cured of knee arthropathy:
- Lady, 45 years old: "I discovered knee joint disease two years ago. It hurts when I stepped on my foot, and there was an unusual crunching sound. I went to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with second-degree disease and recommended to use non-steroids. Treatment with body drugs and chondroprotective agents. With the help of painkillers, I managed to achieve a stable analgesic effect-I took a set of oxicams. Now I continue to take chondroprotective agents and it has not deteriorated. "
- Male, 62 years old: "I suffer from knee joint arthropathy-obviously, the consequences of professional sports when I was young were affected. Even leaving the coaching job did not help reduce the burden, so I continued to actively participate, and I was diagnosedI had joint disease, and I had almost no treatment. I only drank painkillers and hoped it would pass. As a result, the condition progressed to stage 3 and I had to undergo surgery. Among all the techniques, the doctor suggested to me a prosthesis. , This was performed on me last year. The operation was very successful and I recovered quickly. "
- Female, 55 years old: "I was diagnosed with stage 1 arthropathy this year. Fortunately, I went to the doctor on time because I felt heavy legs. I thought it was swelling because I was overweight since I was a child, but it turned outIt’s a joint disease. Now I’m taking anti-inflammatory drugs, but the doctor promised that I can recover with the help of cartilage protectors. I hope it will not appear during the operation. "
Knee joint arthropathy is characterized by an insidious course, and pathology does not give symptoms at the initial stage. However, treatment is most effective at this time. Therefore, doctors insist on timely diagnosis of the pathology of cartilage tissue and prevention of diseases.