Gonarthrosis of the knee joint of 3 degrees

Cartilage that covers the bones of the knee joint, is destroyed gradually, the symptoms appear and grow consistently. After long ignoring eventually develops a grade 3 osteoarthritis (arthritis or osteoarthritis). If the destructive process has touched both extremities, the diagnosis sounds like “bilateral gonarthrosis”.

Disease characteristics

Gonarthrosis of the knee joint of 3 degrees is diagnosed when hyaline cartilage covering the head of the tibia and the femur, is erased almost completely.

This happens because of violations of the cycle of renewal of the cartilaginous tissue due to various reasons. Suffering and synovial membrane of the joint: effusion appears. Independently, these processes do not stop conservative treatment did not significantly helps.

In the end, exposed subchondral surface of the bone (and they are soft enough) and begin to contact each other directly. Occurs protective reaction in the form of overgrowth of bone tissue, form a kind of spikes – osteophytes. This stage of osteoarthritis called “arthritis deformans”. While pronounced changes in the shape of the knee joint: it thickens, visible pineal growths. Bilateral deforming arthrosis of the foot bends by the letter “O” or “X”. To make a diagnosis in this case, the doctor just enough to feel the knee area.

When x-ray visible the following changes:

• the joint space between the heads of the bones is extremely narrowed;
• a large number of osteophytes;
• hardening of the cartilage;
• the destruction of ligaments.

Nuclear magnetic imaging at this stage is much more informative to see all the damage to bone and soft tissue. If necessary, can be assigned to arthroscopy.

Signs

Gonarthrosis 3 degrees can be recognized without a doctor – how visible the consequences of the destruction of the joints.

The main signs that the condyles are almost there, are:

• joint pain that lasts even in a static position;
• the gait is disturbed. A person is forced to alter the normal biomechanics so as to take the weight off the diseased joint. Develops lameness;
• leg difficult to bend and straighten, the mobility of the articulation is very limited, you hear the crunch (the friction of bone on bone) when moving;
• knee joints enlarged and deformed;
• joint fluid accumulates, forming a large swelling.

Ultimately, the movement is completely lost, the person becomes disabled.

Disability

Complete or partial immobility in gonarthrosis grade 3 means a loss of human health and opportunities of full self-serve. In this condition there is a right to receive disability. To do this you must collect all the paper confirming the diagnosis, describe the treatment, undergo a special medical examination. According to the results of examination of the patient and consideration of the documents submitted is awarded a corresponding category.

Disability in osteoarthritis is determined by the following grades:

• Group 1: the person is not able to move around to feed themselves, to perform basic functions for self-service. This category refers to 3 and 4 stages of osteoarthritis of the knee joint;
• Group 2: the movement is partially possible, but mostly with assistance. Awarded patients with osteoarthritis of the knee 3 degrees, ankylosis, by shortening the limb more than 7 cm;
• Group 3: people can move, but not fully. Given on 2 stages of gonarthrosis.

Disability for osteoarthritis is to be confirmed, assuming effective treatment.

Treatment

Treatment of any arthritis only allows to stop the destruction, but not reverse it. The farther into the process, the harder it is to restore mobility to the joint. But with proper holistic approach a doctor to treatment and the patient perseverance gonarthrosis 3 degrees can also be partly brought to remission.

Medicines

• Treatment of knee arthritis starts with pain and inflammation that is assigned to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: celebrex, Meloxicam, Indomethacin.
• In osteoarthritis 3 degrees of pills may not be enough, then made the injection directly into the joint (Prednisolone, Metipred). Potent Tramadol is only allowed in extreme cases, severe pain syndrome. Regenerating these funds do not have, but significantly improve the patient’s quality of life and provide an opportunity to move to the next stage.
• After removing the acute treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee accompanied by symptomatic reception of means such as Celecoxib, Rofecoxib, use of ointments on the basis of Diclofenac. These drugs do not have such a negative impact on the digestive tract as NSAIDs, relieve pain and good.
• For the partial restoration of joint mobility by stimulating the reproduction of cartilage tissue (if any) and normalize the production of joint fluid is used treatment with chondroprotectors (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine). If 3 degree of osteoarthritis, the effect becomes evident only after one and a half years of application.

The hyaluronic acid also have a regenerating effect. One intra-articular injection can ease pain and improve mobility for up to 3 months.

Physiotherapy

The repair process of articular tissues in osteoarthritis will go much faster if you regularly use physiotherapy:

• elektroforez;
• magnetoterapia;
• UHF;
• paraffin;
• mud wraps;
• healing salt and radon baths;
• cryotherapy.

All these manipulations aimed at improving the blood supply and nutrition of the knee joint.

Gonarthrosis of the knee joint of 3 degrees is difficult to defeat without the use of therapeutic exercises. Treatment therapy consists in the regular performance of a complex of static exercises (holding the voltage at a certain position without the additional weight) that do not load the knee joint, but strengthen the surrounding and supporting muscles and ligaments.

Also very useful in osteoarthritis massage and manual therapy. But these procedures should be performed only by a good specialized specialist.

Arthroplasty

But it often happens that the destructive process in gonarthrosis grade 3 went so far that conservative treatment does not help. That is, cartilage is lost, bones are deformed and to recover already nothing. Then there is this option high-tech medical care, like joint replacement. The operation is a full or partial replacement of the destroyed joint with artificial elements.

The implant system is a set of durable titanium components for prosthetic parts of the femur and tibia and a plastic insert instead of cartilage. You can replace a single condyle, or both, there are different types of implants for the prosthetic knee joint, even with a complete loss of the ligaments, as well as age-related bone fragility. All these designs reflect the human anatomy and are about 25-30 years under normal conditions of wear.

The treatment continues rehabilitation period: physical therapy, developing physical exercise. After the restoration of motor activity of patients, especially young ones, almost fully returned. They can lead your normal life, once a year passing inspection to monitor the implant.

Despite the fact that the gonarthrosis win even on 3 stages at the present level of development of medicine, to bring the joints to such a state should not be. Because the treatment will be long, laborious, painful. If there is a joint replacement, there may be complications such as loosening of the implant, infection, inflammation, followed by revision operations. Timely signs of gonarthrosis of the knee and appropriate measures to prevent process – the key to the preservation of joint mobility.