The concept of “arthritis” includes a group of joint diseases accompanied by pain, swelling, and inflammatory processes. Among the diseases of the knee joint, the most common is osteoarthritis, which develops against the background of infectious tissue damage, trauma or wear of the articular surfaces.
The localized form of the disease - monoarthritis - often precedes generalized damage to bone tissue (polyarthritis). Arthritis and arthrosis of the knee joint are often diagnosed, since both types of pathological changes have similar pathogenetic and etiological principles of development.
The etiology of the occurrence of arthritis of the knee joint includes a variety of causes and factors that can influence its occurrence.
Non-infectious arthritis can develop due to degenerative changes in the articular cartilage, for example due to age-related changes or injury to the knee joint area. Often the cause of arthritis is inflammation of adjacent tissues caused by immunological factors. The mechanism of disease development in this case is similar to other autoimmune processes in the body and includes pathological activation of T-lymphocytes, as well as a deficiency of anti-inflammatory antagonists.
Often, when examining patients with arthritis, a specific gene is detected in the DNA of cells, which proves a hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of the disease.
Some types of knee arthritis are caused by the accumulation of salt crystals in the synovial fluid, often associated with calcium imbalance.
Infectious arthritis of the knee joint is associated with local or generalized penetration of:
Provoking factors that contribute to the penetration of infection into the joint and the development of arthritis are:
The classification of arthritis of the knee joint involves the identification of dystrophic, traumatic, infectious and secondary forms of the disease.
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. The most common of them:
Depending on the type of tissue damage, the following are distinguished:
Common symptoms characteristic of any type of arthritis of the knees are:
Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by damage to the right and left knee joint, as well as other articular groups; Symptoms are often accompanied by low-grade fever and increased fatigue. With a long course of the disease, Baker's cysts may form, valgus deviations of the joint may occur, as well as muscle atrophy and impaired tendon mobility.
Systemic manifestations of the disease are common (damage to the heart, eyes, atherosclerosis, lung disease, etc.).
With infectious arthritis of the knee joint, there is an increase in body temperature (up to 39 degrees), severe swelling of the knee, migrating pain in the joints throughout the body, and manifestations of dermatitis (especially often with gonorrheal arthritis). Often the bulging of accumulated exudate is so pronounced that it spreads to the lower leg from the outside or inside of the limb.
A distinctive symptom of gouty arthritis is the deterioration of the patient’s condition after drinking alcohol; Some types of arthritis cause bluish or purple spots on the skin.
The main danger facing arthritis of the knee joints is its transition to the chronic stage; relapses of the disease not only significantly reduce the patient’s quality of life, but also contribute to the development of signs of the disease in other groups of joints (polyarthritis).
Typically, arthritis in one knee joint is a short-term phenomenon that soon spreads to the second joint.
Often, infectious arthritis causes bursitis, arthrosis, synovitis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Rheumatoid arthritis often begins with damage to the knee joints, and within a short period of time it affects the elbow, wrist, phalangeal and other groups of joints.
After assessing the clinical picture of the disease, the following studies are carried out to differentiate the type of arthritis:
Treatment depends largely on the type of arthritis and may include:
The most effective methods used by traditional healers and tried by many patients:
In cases of arthritis, proper nutrition, subject to reasonable restrictions, has a beneficial effect on the condition of bone tissue and joint cartilage.
It is recommended to consume more foods high in vitamin C , as well as vitamins A, E, group B (fish, brewer's yeast, leafy greens, vegetables and fruits of yellow, red, green colors, bran bread, whole grain cereals, cold-pressed vegetable oil, liver , fermented milk foods, etc.).
It is necessary to avoid drinking coffee and strong black tea, alcohol, large amounts of salt, refined and canned foods, as well as smoked foods and foods containing preservatives and flavor enhancers.
Persons at risk for arthritis of the knee joints (after severe infectious diseases, overweight people, athletes, industrial workers with high physical activity, and those with a family history of arthritis) must follow the following rules:
Arthritis is an inflammatory process of the knee joint. The disease proceeds slowly, constantly progresses and is accompanied by pain and discomfort when moving.
This disease can lead to disability; it affects people aged 25 to 35 years; after 40 years, one in five women suffers from arthritis of the knee joint, and after 60 years, this disease affects every second person.
It is important to know the symptoms of knee arthritis in order to be able to promptly diagnose this insidious disease and begin treatment with medications and folk remedies.
Most often, knee arthritis occurs as a result of pathogenic microorganisms entering the joint, where the development of the inflammatory process begins. This reaction is accompanied by redness of the skin on the affected knee, an increase in its volume and impaired mobility. In most cases, when puncturing the knee joint, purulent contents are obtained.
Depending on how the pathological process developed, arthritis can be primary or secondary.
The primary form implies the following types:
Secondary arthritis can result from other diseases of the knee joint. For example, reactive arthritis is a complication of infectious diseases of the genitourinary system or gastrointestinal tract, and rheumatoid arthritis is a severe autoimmune pathology, the causes of which are not fully understood.
The main risk factors for developing the disease are:
Regardless of the causes of development, the manifestations of different forms of arthritis have common symptoms:
Symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the disease.
With arthritis of the knee joint, the symptoms largely depend on the immediate cause that caused them. Thus, acute knee arthritis begins suddenly and, unlike chronic ones, is characterized by severe intoxication. However, there are similar nonspecific signs characteristic of arthritis of any etiology.
A clear symptom of knee arthritis is pain. At first it may be weak, appear only during exercise and disappear with rest. Then the discomfort in the knee becomes regular, painful sensations occur more and more often.
There may be slight swelling of the tissues and limited mobility in the joint. In the acute phase, body temperature increases, the skin over the affected joint turns red, and symptoms of intoxication appear: fatigue, lethargy, muscle pain.
There are 3 degrees of joint damage; let’s look at the symptoms in more detail.
Arthritis of the knee joint in children also has its own characteristics: the knee mainly hurts in the morning, and during the day the child complains of practically nothing. More often it occurs after a cold or acute respiratory viral infection. It must be remembered that children can also develop juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with characteristic lesions of the articular surfaces and persistent joint deformation.
When diagnosed arthritis of the knee joint is treated conservatively in the initial stages.
The choice of medications depends on the cause of the disease. There are several types of inflammatory changes in the joints.
The complex of therapeutic measures includes:
Painful sensations can be reduced not only by medications, but also by supporting devices such as a cane or crutches.
The use of drugs for arthritis is carried out in two directions:
To reduce pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used, such as nimesulide, butadione, diclofenac, piroxicam, ibuprofen. Corticosteroids are used for emergency pain relief.
The etiotropic treatment of arthritis of the knee joint consists of restoring the substance of the cartilage tissue. For this purpose, chondroprotectors are used, such as structum, arthra, teraflex, chondrolone and others. These substances improve the trophism of cartilage tissue, normalize metabolic processes and promote the restoration of articular cartilage.
Injections of hyaluronic acid preparations are also effective. By penetrating the cartilage tissue, these drugs increase its elasticity, improving the biomechanics of the damaged joint.
If the cause of inflammation in arthritis is an infection, then you cannot do without an antibiotic.
If arthritis has gone far enough, it turns into arthrosis. The disease is associated with degenerative damage to bones and cartilage. Against the background of pathology, cracks form in the menisci and synovial membranes. Over time, tissues break down and undergo degeneration.
To prevent arthrosis from turning into arthritis, surgeons perform arthroscopy. This intervention is carried out to review the condition of the anatomical structures. Through a small incision, a zone is introduced into the joint cavity to view the condition of the ligaments and cartilage. Using the instrument, you can remove pus and inflammatory fluid. To prevent bacterial inflammation, antibiotics are injected into the joint cavity.
Nutrition plays a very important role in the treatment of joint arthritis. The diet completely excludes spicy and salty foods. It is necessary to consume more fiber, which is found in fresh vegetables and fruits.
For articular cartilage, useful ingredients are seafood, which contain natural chondroitin. And fatty amino acids in sea fish must be the main component of the diet for arthritis of the knee joint.
In case of chronic arthritis, as well as after the acute condition is relieved, it is necessary to perform simple physical exercises:
Sit on a chair, then swing your legs (one at a time) back and forth until you feel slightly tired.
The attending physician, individually, taking into account the course of the disease, can recommend other exercises that will be of a healing nature.
In the initial stages of the disease, local treatment with ointments with an anti-inflammatory effect can be used.
Traditional medicine has many recipes for treating arthritis. To treat the knee joint, herbal preparations, mumiyos, clay-based preparations, healing baths, rubbing and creams are used. Let's look at some recipes in more detail.
Timely treatment of arthritis stops the pathological process, and this is due not only to medications, but also to traditional, physiotherapeutic methods of treatment, as well as diet.
Any inflammatory process has great potential danger. The worst threat is sepsis. It is generally accepted that inflammation originates only in soft tissues. This is a very erroneous opinion, because... Increasingly, it affects the joints of bones - joints.
Knee arthritis is inflammation of the intra- and periarticular areas of one or both knees. Another name for the pathology is gonarthrosis or gonarthrosis (from the Greek gony - “knee”).
The incidence statistics for knee arthritis are as follows: approximately half (35 to 52%) of people suffering from joint diseases suffer from knee arthritis. More than 30% are in children. Moreover, in 23% of all cases the cause is osteoarthritis. Most patients with knee arthritis are women over 30 years of age. Although for secondary pathologies this is not always true. For example, gonorrheal arthritis is common in men.
A high percentage chance of developing knee arthritis is caused by high stress on the knees. Each of them supports half the weight of the human body, and due to the very limited range of motion in the knees, this load only increases. The feet are more mobile and complexly designed for this.
Diagnosis of pathology is carried out using radiography, or more precisely, arthrography. For pseudogout, polarization microscopy of synovial fluid obtained through puncture is additionally required. The microflora of punctate is used to test the effects of various drugs on infectious pathogens.
In rare cases, additional diagnostic tests are prescribed:
biopsy of the synovium and cartilage;
Wright's reaction tests and Burnet's test;
computed tomography - visualization of sequestered bone tissue. Sequestrum is a dead area of bone tissue;
ultrasound and radionuclide studies.
Gradually all the synovial tissues of the joint become inflamed. The cruciate ligaments undergo gross changes. The cartilaginous cover is destroyed. Spongy tissue is exposed, in which osteomyelitis or osteitis (“bone inflammation”) develops. The changes that occur are determined using x-rays.
Pathological abnormalities cover more and more organs over time:
circulatory and lymphatic systems (lymphadenitis);
various internal organs.
The consequences of gonitis can affect the functioning of many organs:
other joints - gonarthrosis, capsulitis, spondylitis (inflammation of the spine), bursitis, empyema, flexion contracture in a bent position, osteochondritis - an inflammatory process in bone and cartilage tissue;
eyes - keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis, uveitis;
lungs - alveolitis, pneumonitis, interstitial fibrosis;
blood vessels - systemic vasculitis, septic shock, provoking multiple organ failure syndrome, Raynaud's syndrome, capillaritis;
The type of knee arthritis depends on the causes of its occurrence. For example, purulent or septic inflammation is provoked by pathogens entering the joint cavity from primary foci of infection with blood or lymph. If both knees are affected, they are referred to as Clutton's joints.
There is no unified classification of knee arthritis based on its causes:
reactive after intestinal or urogenital infections;
juvenile rheumatoid, in which the immune system destroys the cells of its own body, and rashes appear on the skin - rheumatic nodules at the knee and on the hand;
allergic (usually in the form of polyarthritis);
rheumatic (usually oligoarthritis);
This classification is very controversial. The disease can be acute or chronic. Some doctors also call the subacute form of the disease.
Depending on the location, arthritis of the knee joint can be of two types:
capsular or synovial affects the synovial membrane, usually occurs in an acute form, more often develops in children;
bone or dry affects the osteochondral ends of the joint.
The more the disease progresses, the larger the area it covers. Capsular knee arthritis (otherwise known as synovitis genu) progresses to bone arthritis and vice versa. Synovitis may be accompanied by the formation of rice bodies in the effusion. This increases the pain syndrome.
According to the nature of the effusion, synovial arthritis is divided into:
Based on the presence of pathogens in the articular cavity, gonarthritis is divided into two types:
aseptic, when the joint fluid is sterile.
Preventive measures for arthritis of the knee joint are standard - maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as well as observing sanitary rules and regulations, and safety precautions during work. Particular caution should be exercised by those whose professional activities involve standing for long periods of time, as well as constant vibration.
The variety of clinical forms of gonarthritis is due to the extensive volume, magnitude of the load and complexity of the knee joint. The characteristics of the course of the disease depend on age, constitution, reactions of the human body and tissues to various influences.
The following symptoms of the knee joint are distinguished:
stiffness, stiffness of the knee joints due to severe swelling and accumulation of effusion when going up/down stairs, squats, driving a car and any movements in which the sore knee is involved in any way, i.e. the volume of passive and active mobility is greatly reduced;
pain in the anterior part of the knee, aggravated in positions with the greatest tension on the tendon (of a “mechanical” nature);
massive swelling of soft tissues - dropsy;
accumulation of exudate in the joint cavity;
hypertrophy of the synovial membrane in the fungous form;
redness and local increase in skin temperature within 5-7 cm;
spindle-shaped appearance of the sore leg;
proliferation of villi with infiltration, swelling and fibrous degeneration;
symptom of voting of the patella (ballot cup) - when the leg is straightened, it seems to sink into the area of exudate accumulation, and when flexed, it “pops up” again;
Bonnet position of the joint (forced half-bent at a right angle due to muscle tension);
fever, hectic body temperature;
enlargement of regional lymph nodes;
general malaise, feeling of weakness;
periarticular phlegmon in advanced cases (death is very likely);
atrophy of adjacent muscles, for example, the quadriceps femoris muscle - Alexandrov’s symptom;
bone destruction of the condyles, patella and tibia, jaggedness, appearance of focal irregularities at the articular ends;
rheumatic dense, painless, sedentary nodules in the subcutaneous tissue, fascia, aponeuroses and bursae;
necrosis of soft tissues and cartilage;
fibrosis due to connective tissue degeneration of the bursa;
compaction and thickening of periarticular tissues;
filling the joint with scar tissue;
erosion of articular surfaces;
ankylosis due to the soldering of articular surfaces by connective tissue.
The listed pathological signs appear blurry or pronounced. They are usually divided into local and extra-articular. It is not necessary to manifest the entire symptom complex at once. It all depends on the type of disease and associated pathologies.
The patella or kneecap is a small bony “shield” that covers the top of the knee. It is linked to the thigh muscle and enhances its action. The patella is only part of the powerful stabilizing frame of the knee joint. It begins to bulge forward when there is excessive accumulation of effusion in the cavity of the diseased joint. In this case, the knees acquire a spherical shape. Condyles are semicircular protrusions of the thigh and tibia.
The signs of arthritis of the knee joint are very similar to the symptoms of many bone diseases, as well as tumor-like neoplasms:
pigmented villonodular synovitis;
Laboratory and instrumental signs of knee arthritis include:
an increase in ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (or ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation reaction), the number of leukocytes (mainly polymorphonuclear cells), eosinophils and platelets in a general blood test;
detection of C-reactive protein and seromucoids in a biochemical blood test;
detection of HLA-27 antigen, ?-2 and gamma globulins in blood serum;
a sharp increase in the number of plasma cells in the synovium;
degeneration of cartilage, narrowing of the joint space, gummy process in the bones, erosions and nodes in bone tissue, osteophytes (injuring the synovial membrane), subchondral sclerosis (sclerotic rim around the tuberculous lesion and sequesters inside it) on x-rays.
There are 3 stages of disease development:
First stage, initial. Pre-arthritic phase. Usually takes about 6 hours. The disease occurs in a purely hyperemic form. The only symptom here is a painful syndrome, i.e. arthralgia.
Stage two, early arthritis. The arthritic phase is the height of the disease.
Signs of the second stage can appear cyclically:
cartilage tissue begins to harden;
the bone grows pathologically;
the synovial membrane becomes inflamed;
the joint capsule thickens.
Stage three, advanced arthritis. The post-aging phase is the subsidence of the disease.
Signs of the third stage:
cartilage becomes increasingly thinner and almost completely destroyed;
in their place, due to progressive zonal osteogenesis, bone growths are formed;
cavities with foreign substances appear in the bones;
tissue scarring occurs;
the leg takes a vicious position and shortens/lengthens;
the person becomes disabled.
At the last stage, arthritis takes on a chronic form. Relapses and exacerbations of the disease are possible. The pain syndrome may intensify with a sudden change in weather. This property of the body is called meteosensitivity.
The knee joint is the largest joint in the human body, and it contains more synovial fluid than other joints. When pathogenic organisms enter it, the inflammatory process proceeds rapidly, which is why it is so important to stop the disease at the first stage. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences cannot be avoided.
Found an error in the text? Select it and a few more words, press Ctrl + Enter
There are many reasons for the development of knee arthritis, including:
mechanical overload from friction in the anterior region and prolonged kneeling (“housewife’s knee”);
incorrect position of the bones, which means uneven distribution of the load on the joint;
vaccination against rubella – post-vaccination arthritis;
prolonged hypothermia or frostbite of the legs;
trauma, for example, bruise, fracture, crack, rupture of the articular meniscus or damage to the ligaments - post-traumatic gonarthrosis;
allergies (drug and serum sickness) - allergic arthritis, for example, with urticaria or Quincke's edema;
Reiter's disease - a syndrome of arthritis, urethritis and conjunctivitis (mainly in young men);
arthritis of other joints, for example, purulent or parasitic;
helminthic and protozoal infestations;
lobar pneumonia;
acute strepto-, pneumo- or staphylococcal infection - infectious or septic arthritis;
Arthritis of the knee joint or gonarthritis is a constantly progressive inflammatory process that affects the joints. It manifests itself as discomfort and pain when moving. The disease is chronic, difficult to treat, and can haunt a person for years.
Gonarthritis is a widespread disease; according to WHO, more than 50 million people worldwide suffer from its manifestations. In recent years, the disease has been rapidly “getting younger,” which is a serious medical problem, since in the absence of timely treatment the disease can lead to disability.
Inflammatory joint diseases are diagnosed in different age groups. Arthritis of the knee joint in children is not at all uncommon; it can develop against a background of weakened immunity and frequent colds. In general, gonarthritis most often affects people aged 30 to 50 years, and women are more susceptible to this disease. We will learn all about the causes that contribute to the development of the disease, the characteristic symptoms and methods of treating arthritis.
The onset of arthritis of the knee joint is preceded by a variety of factors. Among the main causes of the disease are:
The development of gonarthritis can be facilitated by a sedentary lifestyle, or, on the contrary, professions associated with constant standing. Arthritis of the knee joint can affect salespeople, hairdressers, professional athletes, and loaders, since their work involves constant stress on the joints of the lower extremities.
Excess weight also has an extremely negative impact on the condition of the joints, provoking their premature abrasion and deformation under the influence of high load. Another important factor is a person’s age and associated degenerative changes in the joints. It is not for nothing that in old age the disease is diagnosed in 80% of patients.
According to the international classification of diseases, arthritis of the knee joint is marked with ICD code 10. This classification makes the work of medical personnel easier, since the corresponding code is indicated in the patient’s personal record.
Osteoarthritis and arthritis are often confused, since both diseases affect the joints and have many common features. However, there are significant differences between them.
With arthritis, the inflammatory process quickly spreads and affects the entire body, affecting not only different groups of joints, but also internal organs. With arthrosis, the inflammatory process is local in nature and affects only the cartilage tissue of the joints.
Arthrosis affects mainly elderly people (after 60 years), while arthritis occurs in representatives of different age groups and is diagnosed even in children.
The pain symptom in these diseases also has a different character. With arthritis, the pain is constant, does not disappear even during sleep and intensifies in the morning. With arthrosis, pain occurs during movement and becomes stronger over time with the slightest physical activity.
Another significant difference is that with arthritis the mobility of the joint is limited in all directions, whereas with arthrosis it is limited in only one. In addition, arthrosis is often accompanied by a crunching or characteristic clicking sound in the affected joint.
Photo: Healthy joint and with arthritis
According to the form of the disease, all types of disease are divided into 2 main groups:
Based on the nature of the progression of the disease, the following types of arthritis are distinguished:
In addition, there are many more types of gonarthritis, each of which develops due to certain provoking reasons. These are age-related, gouty, juvenile, infectious, etc. However, the types of the disease have a common symptom - these are painful sensations that haunt the patient both in movement and at rest. Let us dwell in more detail on the characteristic symptoms of gonarthritis.
All types of arthritis have a number of characteristic common symptoms. These include:
In rheumatoid arthritis, both knee joints are usually affected; the disease is accompanied by increased fatigue and low-grade fever, when the temperature persists for a long time, indicating the presence of an inflammatory process. With a long course of the disease and the absence of adequate treatment, complications develop (Baker's cysts, impaired tendon mobility, muscle atrophy). The most severe consequences are damage to the heart, blood vessels, and eyes.
With arthritis of the knee joint, which is infectious in nature, the temperature can rise to 39 ° C, with severe swelling of the knee and migrating pain in the joints of the whole body.
The main manifestations of arthritis largely depend on the degree of development of the disease.
The main danger of gonarthritis is the transition of the disease to the chronic stage. In this case, constant relapses significantly worsen the quality of life and threaten to damage other groups of joints. Thus, arthritis is often not limited to one knee joint and after some time affects the second knee.
Infectious arthritis can cause the development of bursitis, synovitis and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. But rheumatoid arthritis is especially dangerous, which within a short time can spread to other groups of joints (elbow, phalangeal, wrist). Treatment should be started at the first signs of trouble, otherwise the lack of timely medical care can lead to serious complications and cause disability for the patient.
The doctor will determine how to treat knee arthritis based on the results of a diagnostic examination. The treatment regimen is drawn up taking into account the type of arthritis, the severity of the disease and the general condition of the patient. Complex therapy for gonarthritis is based on the use of medications, physiotherapy methods, therapeutic exercises and lifestyle adjustments. In severe cases, at the last stage of the disease, they resort to surgery and replacement of the destroyed knee joint.
Among medications, the complex treatment includes the following drugs:
In addition to systemic drugs, local agents for external use are widely used. These are ointments, gels and creams:
Also read reviews about Arthropant cream for joint pain.
Photo: Treatment of knee arthritis with physiotherapy
In the treatment of gonarthritis, physiotherapeutic and hardware treatment methods have proven themselves to be excellent. Among them:
Special simple exercises that are recommended to be performed at home will help ease the course of chronic arthritis. Of course, this should be done during periods of remission.
Exercise one : sitting on a chair, alternately swing your legs until you feel slightly tired.
Exercise two : being in the same position (sitting on a chair), alternately raise your leg parallel to the floor and hold it on weight for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times for each leg.
Exercise three : from the “lying on your back” position, raise your legs alternately at an angle to the floor, to a height of 20-30 cm and hold them suspended for several seconds.
Exercise four : lying on the floor, imitate riding a bicycle for several minutes.
Proper nutrition plays an important role in the therapy process. Patients are advised to give up refined foods, canned foods, smoked foods, salty and spicy foods, strong tea, coffee and completely eliminate alcohol. The diet should contain as many fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, and dairy products as possible. It is recommended to include sea fish, dietary meat, liver, and bran bread in the menu.
In advanced cases, when other treatment methods do not produce results, surgical treatment methods are resorted to. There are several main surgical options:
Traditional medicine offers many time-tested recipes, which for gonarthritis will be a good addition to the main treatment:
Treatment of arthritis of the knee joint with folk remedies should be carried out after consultation with your doctor, this will help avoid unwanted complications.
Video about symptoms and treatment of knee arthritis from Bubnovsky
Video reviewing various treatments for knee arthritis
Arthritis is a very serious disease. I have been suffering from knee pain for many years now. I tried everything I could to treat myself, I tried many drugs, but I can’t recover completely and the disease periodically reminds me of itself.
Recently, when pain occurs, I use Viprosal ointment, it quickly relieves discomfort and thanks to this drug I can live and move normally.
I have been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint for several years. The disease is progressing, despite the fact that I undergo treatment every year. I take medications, drink vitamin complexes, and even had injections in my knee.
There are improvements, but they are short-lived, and soon the disease returns with pain. Lately it’s been very difficult for me to move, my leg has almost stopped straightening. Apparently, I will have to decide on joint replacement surgery.