Dear friends, good day!
The topic of this conversation is the most common diseases of the joints. What are their reasons? How to find out what it is: arthritis or arthrosis? How are their treatment plans different? What to offer when asked for something for joint pain? What can not be offered so as not to harm? We will talk about all this now.
First, let's look at the anatomy.
How is the joint arranged?
The joint is formed by the articular surfaces of most often two bones, each of which is covered with articular cartilage.
The joint is surrounded by a joint capsule (capsule), the inner shell of which produces synovial fluid into the joint cavity. It is necessary for lubrication, to nourish the joint, so that our joints do not creak, crunch, click, or ache. By the way, it contains hyaluronic acid. Do you understand where I'm getting at?
Cartilage, covering the articular surfaces, performs two important functions:
- Provides sliding of articulating bones relative to each other.
- It is a shock absorber that the joint experiences when walking, running, jumping.
There is a certain warranty period for the operation of articular cartilage. It does not have a specific figure and depends on the person's lifestyle, weight, nutrition, past injuries and some other factors.
But most often it is 40-60 years.
With age, the amount of synovial fluid in the joint cavity decreases. The cartilage loses moisture, becomes thinner, “erased”, its depreciation capabilities decrease. Articular surfaces begin to rub against each other. Gradually, the process passes from cartilage to bone, causing deformation of the articular surfaces and the formation of bone outgrowths - osteophytes.
You can come across other names for arthrosis: "osteoarthritis", "osteoarthritis", "deforming arthrosis".
At the age of 60+, signs of arthrosis can be found in almost every joint.
But above all, it does not spare the most loaded joints: the knee and hip.
Arthrosis of the knee joint is called "gonarthrosis", arthrosis of the hip - "coxarthrosis".
How to recognize arthritis?
Symptoms of osteoarthritis depend on its stage.
At the beginning of the disease, after a long walk or playing sports, the joint begins to ache. Over time, the pain intensifies, there is a crunch when moving. In the morning after getting up or after sitting for a long time, stiffness of movements occurs, and it takes some time, about 10-15 minutes, to disperse. Inflammation develops in the joint, which is externally manifested by swelling.
In the future, pain when walking becomes constant, movements in the joint are painful, difficult.
If we are talking about the hip joint, then the thinning of the cartilage leads to the fact that the leg on the side of the lesion becomes shorter. There is a distortion of the pelvis, spine. There is a degeneration (destruction) of the mesvertebral discs, the formation of protrusions and hernias is possible. There are back pains.
To prevent this, it is necessary to put an orthopedic heel pad under the sore leg.
The saddest thing about all this is that the process cannot be reversed. You can only pause it.
A radical treatment for arthrosis is joint replacement - an expensive operation that not everyone can afford.
So, what do we have with arthrosis:
- "Drying" and destruction of cartilage.
- , inflammation, swelling.
- Decreased range of motion.
Therefore, the complex treatment of arthrosis will be something like this:
|
What is assigned? |
What for? |
| NSAIDs inside | Reduce pain and inflammation. |
| NSAIDs externally | Strengthen the action of NSAIDs for internal use. |
| Stimulate the formation of collagen, stop the process of cartilage destruction. | |
| Hormonal drugin the joint (appointed with the ineffectiveness of NSAIDs) | Relieve acute inflammation and pain. |
| Hyaluronic acid preparation | Moisturize cartilage, improve lubrication of articular surfaces, facilitate their sliding, reduce pain. |
| orthosis | Fix and unload the joint, which will reduce pain and speed up recovery. |
| Orthopedic | Reduce the shock load on the diseased joint to reduce the period of exacerbation. |
| Cane | Transfer the load to a healthy leg, unloading the patient. The cane makes walking easier and reduces pain. |
| Physiotherapy | Reduce inflammation, pain, improve joint blood circulation, speed up recovery. |
| exercise therapy | Improve blood circulation, strengthen the muscles of the joint, increase the range of motion. |
Of this scheme, the most cruel is the introduction of the hormone into the joint, as it further destroys the cartilage. But sometimes it is urgent to remove the inflammation in order to start treatment with hyaluronic acid preparations. Or the pain is so severe that the person cannot walk.
For intra-articular administration, betamethasone, triamcinolone, hydrocortisone are used.
Hyaluronic acid preparations are otherwise known as synovial fluid prostheses. These are Ostenil, Fermatron, Suplazin, etc. As a rule, they are administered once a week. The course requires 3-5 injections.
Rheumatoid arthritis
The second most common joint disease after arthrosis is rheumatoid arthritis.
This is an autoimmune disease in which one's own immune system suddenly begins to attack native connective tissue and, first of all, joints and periarticular tissues. A huge amount of inflammatory mediators, autoantibodies (this is called the “rheumatoid factor”) is produced, the activity of macrophages and lymphocytes increases.
Chronic inflammation develops in the joints, which further leads to the destruction of cartilage and bone. There are terrible deformations. To spare the nerves of the especially impressionable, I will show the most harmless photos:
This disease is more common in women.
Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age after a viral infection, hypothermia.
Why it occurs, no one really knows. Maybe a lousy gene got mixed up, since patients with rheumatoid arthritis can be traced in different generations of the same family.
Unlike arthrosis, small joints are first affected here.
Typical symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis:
- Swelling and soreness of the small joints of the hands, then of the feet. Moreover, this process is symmetrical.
- The pain is worse at night and early in the morning. This is due to the fact that during the night an inflammatory exudate accumulates in the joint cavity, irritating the nerve endings of the synovial membrane.
- Morning stiffness, which can last from 30 minutes to infinity (depending on the activity of the process). It feels like the joints are stiff. For comparison: with arthrosis, it does not exceed 15 minutes.
- The appearance of rheumatoid nodules. These are soft formations ranging in size from 2 mm to 3 cm, located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joints. It is believed that their cause is the deposition of immune complexes in the vessels - the result of the activity of an enraged immune system:
- Weakness, fatigue, decreased appetite, weight loss, possibly body. This happens due to intoxication of the body caused by inflammation and destruction of its own tissues.
- Joint deformities. They are so strong that a person cannot brush his teeth, comb, dress, light a burner.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is usually accompanied by changes in other organs and systems: spine, heart, lungs, eyes, nervous system.
Principles of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis:
I'll explain a little.
In the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, there is such a thing as basic therapy, which should begin as early as possible. It includes immunosuppressive agents and agents with a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect.
Suppress the activity of the immune system Methotrexate, Arava, Remicade, MabThera, glucocorticosteroids (prednisolone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone), antimalarial drugs (Plaquenil, Delagil).
Arava, Sulfasalazine, Plaquenil, Delagil have an anti-inflammatory effect.
If basic therapy with one drug is ineffective, two or even three drugs from these groups are prescribed, for example, Methotrexate and Arava or Methotrexate and Sulfasalazine.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs against the background of such a fire that burns in the joints with rheumatoid arthritis are ineffective. Therefore, they are prescribed, as a rule, in combination with one of the means of basic therapy.
And yet, if you are talking to a customer and understand that everything here is very similar to rheumatoid arthritis, of course, you can independently recommend an over-the-counter drug from the NSAID group and
The choice of product depends on the localization of the process. Most often, this is an orthosis for the wrist joint.
And be sure to consult a doctor.
Other arthritis
Very briefly about other arthritis.
Reactive arthritis occurs after an infectious disease. For example, after an intestinal or genitourinary infection. Mostly large joints of the legs are affected: knee, ankle, and the lesion is asymmetrical. Mostly young people are affected.
The basis of treatment is antibiotic therapy. To reduce pain, NSAIDs are used, in severe cases - hormones.
Rheumatic arthritis. Not to be confused with rheumatoid! This is a systemic disease with a primary lesion of the heart (rheumatism is the main cause of acquired heart defects). Occurs in young people, often in children.
The culprit is Streptococcus. There is even such an expression: "Streptococcus bites the heart and licks the joints."
Rheumatism begins 1-2 weeks after suffering a sore throat. The temperature rises, the pulse quickens, chills, sweating, chest pain are noted, large joints of the legs hurt and swell, and the inflammation wanders from one joint to another.
Treatment includes antibiotics to kill streptococcus, corticosteroids and NSAIDs to reduce inflammation and pain.
There are also psoriatic, gouty and other arthritis, but less often.
Summarize.
Differences between osteoarthritis and arthritis
| Arthrosis | Arthritis | |
| Age | Mostly in the elderly | Any |
| What comes first | cartilage destruction | Inflammation |
| Which joints are affected | Mostly large | Any |
| Pain at rest | Rarely | Often |
| The nature of the pain | Moderate, aching, aggravated by movement | Acute, persistent |
| Edema | Might not be | There is |
| Forecast | Healing Impossible | A cure is possible (depending on the type of arthritis) |
| Basis of treatment | NSAIDs, hyaluronic acid preparations, chondroprotectors | Antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, in rheumatoid arthritis - immunosuppressants |
What can you offer when asked for something for joint pain:
- NSAIDs over-the-counter orally and externally.
- Chondroprotector, if you see an elderly person in front of you, because you can’t go wrong here. Everyone over the age of 60 has arthrosis.
- Orthopedic product for the joint.
- Orthopedic insoles (for pain in the joints of the legs).
- Cane (for pain in the joints of the legs).
Attention! What not to offer:
Warming ointment and warming knee pad in the first week after the onset of symptoms of the disease, because. as a result of vasodilation and improved blood circulation, the area of inflammation increases.
That's all for today.
A new riddle from buyers today will be like this:
See you on the blog for hard workers!
With love to you, Marina Kuznetsova
At the mention of diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis, problems with the joints inevitably pop up in the memory. Indeed, both of these pathologies are directly related to the musculoskeletal system, since the pathological process is localized in the articular joints. Both arthritis and arthrosis have similar symptoms. Many patients confuse these diseases, consider them the same pathology, however, they have fundamental differences.
What is Arthritis and Osteoarthritis and how do they differ?
Arthritis and arthrosis are common diagnoses in older patients. To understand the differences between these two pathologies, consider what arthritis and arthrosis are and what is the difference between them.
A chronic disease of the joints, in which their gradual deformation is observed, is called arthrosis. A more correct name is osteoarthritis, since not only cartilage, but ultimately bone tissue is involved in the pathological process.
The immediate cause of the disease is damage to the surfaces of the joint, as a result of which they wear out and cease to perform their functions. A typical manifestation of arthrosis is severe pain when moving in the limbs, as a result of the aggravation of the pathological process, the mobility of the joint is significantly limited. In an advanced stage, the joint may become immobile.
Osteoarthritis usually appears in people over forty-five years old, but in rare cases it can affect the joints of young people. The disease develops mainly in women, and it also affects people who have congenital pathologies of the limbs. Osteoarthritis leads to overweight, joint surgery, injuries, for example, the hip or knee joint. Endogenous factors, such as poor nutrition or circulatory disorders in the joint, can also provoke the disease.
Arthritis is an inflammatory disease localized in the joint. This is his difference between arthritis and arthrosis. Inflammation can appear as a result of infection of the joint, injury, and also due to dystrophic changes in the tissues. Like arthrosis, arthritis is characterized by joint pain that worsens with movement.
Lack of proper treatment leads to loss of mobility in the joint and its complete immobilization. Arthritis is easier to distinguish, since inflammation provokes reddening of the skin at the site of the lesion, swelling. Note that arthritis is not an isolated pathology. This is a systemic disease that affects not only the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis usually affects the liver, kidneys, and heart. This is the main difference between arthritis and local arthrosis.
signs
The symptoms of arthritis and arthrosis are largely similar to each other, but they also have significant differences. Pain is an essential symptom that comes to the fore in both arthrosis and arthritis. The nature of the pain varies: with arthrosis, patients experience negative sensations at the time of physical activity, as well as with increased stress on the damaged joint.
At the initial stage, the pain may be mild. Because of this, patients do not always attach importance to such symptoms and do not pay attention to the first signs of pathology. At rest, the pain subsides. Only in the second and third stages the pain is always present. However, if the limb is successfully positioned, the pain will subside. With arthritis, the pain does not subside, and the highest peak of its development is reached at night, closer to the morning.
Articular deformities are a key sign of articular pathology
Crunch is a typical characteristic of arthrosis and chronic arthritis.
There is a crunch due to a decrease in the elasticity of the cartilage tissue and an increase in friction between the articular surfaces. At the initial stage, you can notice the crunch of the fingers, and then larger joints are also affected. A distinctive feature of the crunch in the joints is a rough, dry sound made by the joint.
Limited mobility in the joint and stiffness in movements are typical symptoms of arthrosis and arthritis, but for arthrosis, joint problems are localized, i.e. a specific joint is affected, and with arthritis - a systemic pathology - discomfort is noted not only in the joints, but throughout the body.
Articular deformities are noted in both pathologies, but have distinctive features. With arthrosis, changes affect only the joint itself, and the inflammatory process in arthritis provokes changes in the skin - you can see swelling, redness, hyperthermia. In addition, arthritis is accompanied by general somatic pathology: body temperature rises, a typical febrile state sets in, sweating increases, weakness and drowsiness appear. Conjunctivitis may begin, chronic diseases are complicated. With arthrosis, there are no such symptoms, but if arthrosis has developed, inflammation will also join with arthrosis.
Signs of arthritis and arthrosis should be carefully differentiated by the doctor, therefore, if negative symptoms appear, a specialist consultation is required.
Diagnostics
To start treatment of the disease, the correct diagnosis of arthritis or arthrosis is important. It can be carried out using various research methods. Not all patients know which doctor deals with articular pathologies, so at the initial stage, you can contact a rheumatologist or therapist, and then you need to consult an orthopedist or surgeon.
Patients must be prescribed a blood test that will demonstrate general changes in the body. If the results of the blood test do not show deviations, then the doctors lean towards arthrosis as a preliminary diagnosis.
If the x-ray is not very informative, doctors suggest undergoing an MRI, where you can examine the area of interest to the doctor in several projections
With an increase in the erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the blood plasma, rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, since there is a clear indication of an inflammatory process. Typically, the rate increases above 25 mm / h. An additional confirming sign will be joint pain, which worsens at night. In fairness, we note that an increase in ESR is also possible with arthrosis, if inflammation has joined it.
An additional argument in favor of rheumatoid arthritis will be an increased number of leukocytes. They also take blood from a vein for rheumatological tests - the appearance of a special brand - C-reactive protein, which indicates inflammation. However, you should not rely only on a blood test, since it is impossible to reliably determine one of the diseases by this analysis. It is necessary to conduct additional studies, constantly taking into account the presence of an inflammatory factor in the blood.
As additional studies, doctors prescribe to the patient:
- x-ray of the problem area;
- magnetic resonance imaging;
- computed tomography;
- radioisotope scanning.
Doctors take into account the tests, a carefully collected anamnesis and the results of a blood test, after which a particular disease is diagnosed.
Treatment
For the treatment of arthritis and arthrosis to be successful, it is necessary to choose the right treatment strategy. Note that it is not always possible to completely cure the disease, and in some cases, long-term remission is considered a huge success.
In order to relieve exacerbation and prevent recurrence of diseases, it is necessary to carry out treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medicines have a particularly powerful effect on the body with arthritis, and also affect the positive dynamics in arthrosis.
Features of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are as follows:
- drugs are not recommended to drink for a long time, even if they do not cause negative effects during the intake;
- patients with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, disorders of the liver, kidneys and heart are prohibited from taking NSAIDs;
- do not increase the dosage of drugs without the permission of a doctor, since with individual sensitivity a negative reaction can be observed;
- when taking drugs, you must drink a large glass of water;
- when taking NSAIDs, it is forbidden to combine several drugs, as well as drink alcoholic beverages;
- NSAIDs are prohibited during pregnancy.
When contacting a doctor, the patient after the examination will be prescribed an effective treatment with the safest non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Basically, all drugs in this group can be divided into cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors are considered to be more loyal to the body drugs.
First generation inhibitors include aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen. Second generation inhibitors are Meloxicam, Nimesulide, Celecoxib, Etoricoxib. These active substances are included in the composition of many drugs. These are ointments, patches, gels and tablets.
Useful in the treatment will be drugs to relieve muscle spasm - muscle relaxants. Usually this often happens in patients suffering from arthrosis or arthritis. With severe pain in the joints, the muscles experience severe tension, and with prolonged discomfort, they suffer from a lack of nutrition and oxygen, so it is very important to relieve the discomfort that accompanies the disease in time. These drugs include Mydocalm, Sirdalud, Baclofen.
During therapy, an indispensable condition is the normalization of metabolic processes. This becomes possible after the inflammation subsides and muscle spasm is relieved. Metabolic drugs for patients with arthritis and arthrosis are ATP, Riboxin, Phosphaden, B vitamins, anabolic steroid drugs.
To remove salts in arthrosis, a special number of drugs are prescribed, as well as means to achieve optimal acid-base balance. These are Artofan, Urozin, Ossocalcinol.
In order to cure arthritis and arthrosis or achieve stable positive dynamics, it is very important to take all the drugs recommended by your doctor. Moreover, this must be done according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor, because even the most effective metabolic agents against the background of an active inflammatory process will simply be useless.
Various Forms of NSAIDs Successfully Relieve Pain and Reduce Inflammation
Alternative treatment
A disease such as arthritis and arthrosis can be treated not only with traditional drugs, but also with folk remedies. Massages with preparations based on natural ingredients will be useful. These are Apizartron with bee venom, Viprosal with snake venom. Also, essential oils are included in these preparations. During massage, you can add eucalyptus and ginger oil, ginger, marjoram, rosemary or juniper oil.
With arthritis and arthrosis, warm baths give a good relaxing effect. They will help relieve muscle pain and fatigue, will help to relax the body as a whole. The best composition is one drop of ginger oil and the same amount of benzoic styrax or two drops of marjoram and black pepper oil in one tablespoon of olive oil. Add 15-20 drops to the bath. A recipe helps a lot if the patient has arthrosis of the legs. Baths with oils can be done every evening at night.
Black poplar also has an excellent effect. Not all patients know how to treat arthritis and arthrosis with black poplar, but it is very easy to do. From a healthy tree, it is necessary to collect dust, young leaves and shoots - about half a bucket, after which it is all poured with boiling water to the edge of the container and aged overnight. In the morning, the liquid is carefully poured into the bath, leaving the cake, and immersed in it for half an hour. After the bath, it is advisable to warm up and lie down in bed for an hour.
Folk remedies are excellent even if the patient is struck by arthrosis arthritis - a severe combination of bone deformities along with an inflammatory process in the articular joint. For treatment, you need to take a glass of spruce needles and pour them with two liters of water. It is necessary to boil the remedy for fifteen minutes, after which the broth is poured into the bath and taken until the water has completely cooled.
Senna leaves will help with arthritis and arthrosis. If the patient regularly treats the disease with this remedy, then the inflammation quickly disappears. Senna is used as follows: two cups of the dry component are poured with a liter of boiling water and sealed for forty minutes. Then the liquid is poured into the bath, sea salt is added there and taken until the water is at the optimum temperature. After the bath, the places of damage by arthrosis or arthritis are treated with fir oil and wrapped in a scarf.
Prevention
As a preventive measure, doctors give patients the following advice:
- completely treat all infectious pathologies, do not interrupt the course of therapy with antibacterial drugs, so as not to leave foci of inflammation in the body;
- adhere to a balanced diet;
- wear comfortable shoes that do not restrict the feet;
- get rid of excess weight, which creates additional stress on the limbs;
- do not overcool the feet, beware in wet weather and the cold season;
- protect yourself from injuries, and during active sports use special bandages, supports, elastic bandages;
- perform daily gymnastics, take walks in the fresh air to activate blood circulation in the body, and when the first symptoms of arthritis or arthrosis are detected, perform special joint gymnastics - exercises for the hands, ankle, knees.
Arthritis and arthrosis are severe lesions of the articular surfaces. If treated incorrectly or untimely, they can lead to disability, so doctors strongly recommend that you consult a doctor at the first symptoms of diseases.
Complete or incomplete rupture of the cruciate ligaments occurs due to the following adverse factors:
- fall with an emphasis on the knee;
- direct blow to the cruciate ligaments with a heavy object;
- extreme or track-and-field sports associated with sharp movements of the legs;
- industrial or transport accidents;
- degenerative changes in the area of the medial meniscus associated with osteoarticular diseases.
How is it treated
Rupture of the cruciate ligaments of the knee can be treated conservatively and surgically. Let's take a look at the features of each option.
Immediately after the injury, swelling and pain are removed, after which the former mobility of the joint is restored. Conservative methods include cold compresses, anti-inflammatories and, of course, rest. In addition, the patient may be prescribed special exercises and physiotherapy.
With regard to exercise, they are aimed at restoring mobility and preventing muscle atrophy. It is also recommended to wear special knee pads, which can be of several types.
For this reason, people involved in sports are advised to perform operations, and calipers are prescribed at least six months later.
In case of ineffectiveness of conservative methods, surgical treatment is performed. Even if it is immediately clear that an operation is indispensable, patients are still prescribed physiotherapy and gymnastics to relieve swelling and restore mobility.
As a rule, in case of rupture of the ACL and PCL, arthroscopy is performed - one of the most minimally invasive operations. A torn ligament cannot be sutured - grafts or piece prostheses are used to restore it.
Arthroscopy shows the greatest effectiveness after a course of exercises and physiotherapy, and this once again proves how important conservative therapy is. Usually the operation is done six months after the injury, but sometimes it happens even after a few years.
We also add that grafts can be of two types:
- autografts (other tendons of the patient);
- allografts (tendons from a donor).
The advantage of the second option is that the operation takes half the time, since the surgeon does not need to first cut out the graft.
Judging by the fact that you are now reading these lines, victory in the fight against inflammation of the cartilage tissue is not on your side yet ...
And have you already thought about inpatient treatment? This is understandable, because joint pain is a very dangerous symptom, which, if not treated in time, can result in limited mobility. A suspicious crunch, stiffness after a night's rest, the skin around the problem area is stretched, swelling in the sore spot ... All these symptoms are familiar to you firsthand.
What are the types and symptoms of injury?
| Stage | signs |
| Light | mild soreness |
| Stretching or partial tearing of individual fibers | |
| The working capacity of the limb is preserved | |
| Medium | Subtotal connective tissue damage |
| palpable pain | |
| Mobility restriction | |
| Swelling and redness of the skin of the knee | |
| heavy | Intense pain sensations |
| Lost motor functions | |
| The ligaments are completely torn, their separation is observed | |
| Characteristic crunch during injury | |
| extensive edema | |
| Hemorrhage into the joint cavity | |
| The temperature is elevated | |
| Feeling of "dangling" of the joint | |
| Loss of sensation in the toes if the nerve bundles are pinched |
READ ALSO: Surgical treatment of postoperative hernias using mesh implants
Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee: causes, symptoms and treatments
Rupture of the cruciate ligament is a pathological condition that develops as a result of trauma to the knee joint.
This ACL injury is one of the most dangerous, but with its timely detection, provision of assistance and proper treatment, it will not carry any consequences for a person. He will be able to continue a normal life.
Most often, the torn cruciate ligament of the knee occurs in people who are actively involved in sports, especially tennis, basketball and football.
The cruciate ligamentous apparatus is a strong anatomical formation that is responsible for the full functioning of the knee joint, and also controls the movements of the articular joint in a strictly designated range.
If the range of motion increases for any reason, then stretching or even rupture of the ligamentous apparatus is possible. There are two ligaments in the knee - anterior and posterior. They got their name due to the fact that if you look at the knee from the front, they form a cross.
The structure of the knee joint
The symptoms of a rupture are usually very pronounced - the knee swells and an intense pain syndrome appears, the body temperature rises locally. In addition, at the moment of rupture, a person may hear a crackling sound.
It is only a traumatologist who can accurately determine that a rupture has occurred after an examination and the appointment of certain methods of laboratory and instrumental diagnostics. It is recommended to treat a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee or the posterior cruciate ligament in stationary conditions.
Doctors resort to both non-invasive therapy and operable intervention.
Reasons for the gap
More often in medical practice, a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee joint is detected. And usually it is associated with trauma. Somewhat less often, inflammation in the area of the articular joint can contribute to this. Rupture of the posterior cruciate ligament is much less common.
Causes of this pathological condition:
- fall of a person from a height;
- sharp movements in the knee joint. A gap can occur during intense jumps, an abrupt stop after running, a sharp extension, and so on;
- stumbling;
- a blow to the knee region, falling on its front or back. Worst of all, if there is a direct blow. Because of it, a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament can occur;
- road accident;
- the course of degenerative or inflammatory processes in the knee joint, which also affect the ligamentous apparatus.
Predisposing factors for stretching or rupture of the ligamentous apparatus:
- inadequate development of muscles in the lower extremities;
- some features of the human skeleton;
- human hormonal background. Clinicians note that such an injury is more often diagnosed in the fair sex.
Symptoms and pain
The intensity of the symptoms of rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament directly depends on how much the integrity of this anatomical formation will be violated. Most often, the presence of this pathological condition in a person can be suspected by the following signs:
- during an injury, a person hears and feels a crunch in the area of the knee joint;
- local increase in body temperature;
- at the time of the injury, a strong pain syndrome appears, which intensifies as the person tries to move the leg (if the ligament is completely torn, the limb ceases to perform its supporting function);
- the knee joint swells;
- the limb is unstable;
- hyperemia of the skin at the site of injury. There may be bruising and bleeding;
- manifestation of hemarthrosis is not excluded. This is a pathological condition that is characterized by the accumulation of blood in the joint.
READ ALSO: Severe knee pain on the outside
In the event of the appearance of such signs, it is important to provide first aid to the patient until the delivery of the patient to a medical facility. The first thing to do is to completely immobilize the leg so as not to injure it even more.
The affected knee is fixed with an elastic bandage or an ordinary tight cloth. Be sure to apply cold to the affected area and the patient is given an anesthetic tablet to reduce the manifestation of pain.
Only a qualified doctor traumatologist can detect the presence of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, after interviewing the patient and carefully questioning him. To assess the degree of gap, some instrumental examinations are assigned, in particular the following:
- radiography of the affected limb;
- ultrasound examination of the articular joint;
- MRI is the most informative technique that allows you to identify the presence and extent of the gap.
Many assume that the only way to close the gap is through an operable intervention. But actually it is not. For the treatment of this condition, both conservative methods and surgical intervention are used.
Conservative treatment is used in the treatment of rupture in children, as well as in the elderly.
In addition, with the help of non-invasive methods, a partial tear is treated, which minimally affected the functioning of the articular joint.
The affected leg is fixed and provided with maximum rest. If there is an urgent need, then the doctor can even plaster it. Some medications are prescribed:
- anti-inflammatory;
- painkillers;
- restorative;
- hemostatic.
The second stage is the restoration of the functioning of the affected joint. For this purpose, the patient is prescribed massage, physiotherapy, exercise therapy, wearing special orthopedic devices.
Operable intervention is indicated if conservative therapy is ineffective or if there is a complete rupture of the ligamentous apparatus.
It is important to know that suturing is not able to restore the integrity of the ligament.
Therefore, in order to normalize a person's condition, special ligament prostheses or transplants are implanted into the knee.
Knee ligament ruptures are common injuries. They may be complete or incomplete and be accompanied by a complete detachment from the attachment point.
These factors largely determine the severity of symptoms.
Such injuries can occur during traffic accidents, at home, while playing sports and other circumstances.
In this article, we will introduce you to the types, causes, symptoms, and treatments for knee ligament tears. With this information, you will be able to provide first aid to yourself or a loved one in time and decide on the need to see a doctor.
The ligaments of the knee joint act as a fixator of the tibia to the femur. As a result of the gap, there is a violation of the elasticity and precise location of the structures of the joint, and movements in it become chaotic.
Depending on the location of the injury, the following types of ruptures are distinguished:
- anterior cruciate ligaments;
- posterior cruciate ligaments;
- external lateral ligaments;
- internal lateral ligaments.
Depending on the amount of damage to the fibers, three degrees of severity of damage are distinguished:
- I - only a few fibers are damaged in the bundle, while the rest remain intact;
- II - more than 50% of the fibers in the ligament are damaged and the mobility of the joint is limited;
- III - the ligament is completely torn or torn from the place of fixation, and the joint becomes immobilized and unstable.
