Knee joint disease(Knee joint osteoarthritis, knee joint deformity arthropathy) is a degenerative disease of the knee joint, which is characterized by destruction of articular cartilage, joint deformation and dysfunction.
It is believed that the initial changes in knee joint arthropathy are formed in the cartilage tissue at the molecular level. Over time, these changes can lead to the destruction of the physicochemical properties of cartilage. When examining the cartilage preparation, it can be found that in some places it starts to become cloudy, thin, layered and cracked in all directions.
Finally, the pathological process ends with more or less complete disappearance of the cartilage, resulting in exposure of the underlying bone. Knee joint disease is most common in people over 50 years of age.
Women more often suffer from knee joint arthropathy. Knee joint disease can be unilateral and bilateral. The most common arthropathy is medial arthropathy.
Causes of knee joint arthropathy
The exact cause of arthropathy is not yet known, but there are usually many factors that cause this disease:
- Previous injury to the knee joint-increasing the risk of osteoarthritis;
- Inheritance-In some cases, patients with arthropathy will detect a genetic defect responsible for the development of cartilage tissue, which makes these people more prone to arthropathy due to low resistance to arthropathy. Cartilage tissue damage;
- Weight gain-According to observations, large joints of the lower limbs (knee joints, hip joint arthropathy) most commonly occur in patients who have gained weight and occur because these joints are subjected to excessive loads. It may also lead to faster progression of the disease;
- Excessive joint pressure;
- Intra-articular deposition of crystals-occurs in some diseases related to metabolic disorders, especially uric acid, which can cause cartilage destruction.
Knee joint disease symptoms
It is known that the symptoms of knee joint arthropathy will slowly develop within a few years.
The most common symptoms of knee joint disease are:
- Deep pain in the knee joint, especially when moving and walking;
- Swelling of the knee;
- Morning stiffness in the morning, after a period of exercise, the patient noticed the need to "relax", and then relieved, the knee joint movement improved;
- The joints creak (crepitus) during exercise.
Knee joint disease treatment
At present, it is impossible to completely cure arthropathy of the knee joint. However, by starting treatment in the early stages of the disease, the progress of the destruction of articular cartilage tissue can be prevented for a long time.
The treatment center conducts modern treatment of knee arthropathy based on a comprehensive multilateral approach, including:
- Use knee pads to relieve the inner part of the joint;
- Taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can stop your joint inflammation and relieve pain;
- Decrease in weight gain-reliably leads to a slowdown in the progression of arthropathy;
- Physical therapy exercises, excluding the axial load of the joints, can restore muscle tension, prevent muscle atrophy and restore the range of motion of the joints;
- Receiving small doses of muscle relaxants-leads to a decrease in muscle spasms around the joints, which also significantly reduces the pain syndrome;
- Physical therapy courses;
- Introduce hyaluronic acid preparations into the joints-this is a synovial prosthesis;
- Take drugs from the cartilage protection group;
- Take drugs that improve blood rheology and bone blood supply;
- In some cases, knee arthroscopy;
- Knee replacement-If conservative treatment fails, perform knee replacement.
Knee joint arthropathy surgery is performed free of charge within the VMP.
If there is a medical indication and there is a referral quota, our center will operate with funds allocated under the plan to provide high-tech healthcare (HMP).
Detailed information about high-tech healthcare plans.
Treatment of knee joint disease with PRP
In addition to the classic conservative treatment of knee osteoarthritis, our clinic has a unique opportunity to receive treatment using a unique technology based on the introduction of biologically active substances separated from the patient's own into the affected joints. Blood-rich autologous platelet plasma (PRP therapy), which allows you to influence the key link in the pathogenesis of joint disease-regeneration-the recovery of cartilage tissue.
Due to the use of enriched autologous platelet plasma for treatment, patients do not use "chemical" drugs and do not need to see a physical therapist every day. In this way, the drug has no effect on the body as a whole, and the load on important organs such as the liver and kidneys is reduced.