Osteoarthritis: symptoms, causes, diagnosis.

The osteoarthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints, which are observed in the destructive-degenerative processes, such as the loss of articular cartilage, ligaments, and bones, and the pathological changes in the sheath, the synovial (membrane), and the joint capsule (the shell of the knee joint, is sealed to its cover, and makes a connection to the bones in the joint). When you win, the pain is felt in a joint, it is possible to restriction of mobility.

The causes of osteoarthritis

Up to now, we don't know exactly what causes osteoarthritis, but there are a lot of factors, the aggravating circumstances the state of the joint, modifying its structure and function. The impetus for the arthritis, it can serve as a:

• minor trauma (strains, sprains, tears ligaments, breaks, bumps, bruises, a wound, penetrating);
• both static and dynamic loading related to the activities of professional (athletes, dancers, miners, and others, are involved in heavy physical activity);
• obesity (which is constant load on the joint);
• forum;
• infectious diseases (tuberculosis, chlamydia, influenza);
• impairment of the circulation of the blood.
• hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, menopause);
• metabolic (osteoporosis (decreased bone density), arthritis (inflammatory disease of the joints), gout (deposition of salts of uric acid in the joints));
• auto-immune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus (a disease in which the immune system recognizes the cells as alien, and fight with them), rheumatoid arthritis (the immune system mistakenly attacks a healthy joint));
• hemophilia because the hemophilia to occur, frequent bleeding in the joints);
• disorders of the endocrine system (thyroid disease);
• degenerative change degenerative disease Pertusa (aseptic necrotic process at the head of the hip), necrotic is the process by which a piece of cartilage separated from the bone and moves into the joint cavity, resulting in the death of the grain of the bone, and, consequently, are made up of small chips;
• congenital diseases (dysplasia of the connective tissue (in the wrong tissue formation) dysplasia of the hip (abnormal development of the joint), the pathology of the abnormality of the upper limbs and lower limbs);
• age;
• to the point of intoxication (drug overdose, alcohol abuse, drug use);
• transferred the operation of the joint;
• a sedentary lifestyle;
• of the inheritance;
• the beriberi.

The extent of the arthritis

The process of the injury, osteoarthritis is divided into 4 grades:

• The Zero-degree-of-arthritis – expressed in morphological changes may not occur at all, but it tips over with the disease are now available. There is a change in the composition of the oxygen in the synovial fluid, and therefore, the nutrition of the articular cartilage deteriorates, and therefore, the resistance of the load decreases. In the morning after you wake up, or after a long period of holiday in an inpatient, it is observed that the difficulty in the movement of the joints, but during the day the stiffness will pass. This condition is referred to as the "beginning of sorrow". When the movement of the hinge and emits a loud popping sound, but the pain is during the movement of the fault. The first level is typical of a pain, after such a long, high loads on the joint, but the pain disappears immediately after the break.

• The degree of osteoarthritis – a second level characterized by destruction of hyaline articular cartilage. Begin by morphological changes. The x-rays show the presence of the new bone spurs at the edges of the surface of the bone. Capsule, joint fluid thins out. Observed narrowing of the joint cleft, reduction of the distance between the heads of the bones in the joint). The muscular functions are negative influences. In the state of pará is the one according to the degree of arthritis, the habitual pain from the tightening of the joints and, sometimes, lameness. Characterized by the appearance of a "mechanical pain", which occur during running, walking, workouts, due to the reduction of the depreciation in the ability of the articular cartilage.

• The second degree of osteoarthritis – the joint cartilage is completely worn, they are marked with extensive damage. At this stage of the disease, dramatically improves. This is typical of the complete lack of oxygen in the synovial fluid, acute pain, muscle atrophy, shortening of the ligaments, damage of meniscus), the development of a private jet, synovitis (inflammation of the outer joint fluid, pus formation or buildup of oxygen in the liquid, the rise of the joint). The axis of the member, deformation of (X,-device, and The sealing of the curvature of the legs). It disappears almost entirely to the articular slot, to deform the surfaces of the joints with a large measure of bone spurs. The amount of movement is limited or impossible. You will receive the sensitivity to changes in the climate (humidity, low temperature, high atmospheric pressure). The third kind of arthritis, it talks about the disability.

• The third degree of osteoarthritis in the fourth grade of the disease, the function of the joint, irreparably lost. You get this effect as a sudden sharp pain in the affected joint, which is not satisfied with the drug. It can occur in ankylosis (amendment to the bones or false joint is formed in the non-characteristic to the place. The fourth degree of the osteoarthritis, attest to the disability. The treatment involves just treatment of the implantation of the prosthesis.

Types of arthritis

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee is also called a deformation in the case of osteoarthritis of the knee-joint. The progression of the arthritis, the delivery of the pain, and in the future, bends the knee, with a possible increase in the volume, and inflammation is the result.

Athletes, as a result of the regular loads on her knees to be able to develop so-called osteoarthritis, which affects the joint of the knee, pain is felt in the front of the victim in the knee, the patella has no sharp edges). Through the pain, you should knead the dough, and the clicking of the joint.

Osteoarthritis of the hip

It also goes by the name of coxarthrosis. This is a type of osteoarthritis a hard run, and it advances more quickly than the other types of the disease, leading to disability. The defeat is a hip unilateral osteoarthritis) and may lead to the loss of the second bi-directional arthritis). They are likely to be available released in arthrosis of the hip joint causes a loss of the knee-joint, and the vertebral column. It may occur, lameness, shortening of a patient of any of the members, cracking, atrophy, femoral muscle.

uncovertebral osteoarthritis

When uncovertebra to win, we suffer the neck joint.

In addition to the above-mentioned factors are offering the opportunity for the emergence of diseases of the joints, the causes of the uncovertebra of arthritis, it can become a burden in the neck, the department of osteocondrose (degenerative changes in vertebral cartilage of the intervertebral disc and in the vicinity of the tissue, intervertebral disc herniation (protrusion, bulging disc in the spine).

Osteoarthritis in the cervical spine and the articulation is accompanied by a decrease in the tissue of the cartilage, the seal and the deformation processes of the cervix, the reduction of the space for the growth of bone tissue in the waist, in the investigation of a limited space in the neck department, then compression of the nerve root and the contraction of the spinal canal.

To uncovertebral from arthritis is characteristic of all manifestations of headaches, sore throats, vertigo, spinning, are, vomiting, tenderness in the neck, or the feeling of tingling in the area, and to increase blood pressure.

With the win, the jaw joint (TMJ)

TMJ tmj joint temporomandibular. The joint that is closer to your ear, between the jaw and the temple, on both sides of the head. The cartilage in the jaw joint is not as strong as in other connections, for the reason that their loss causes a lot of pain. The disease is most common in people over the age 50 years of age, who is ill, especially the women. As A consequence of arthrosis of TMJ is a difficulty in that the grinding of the food with an armbar-related deterioration of the hearing, and pain when you talk. In this case, the causes of osteoarthritis are: a change in the apparatus of the teeth, congenital abnormalities of the lower jaw injury to the jaw, stress, the inability to dentistry, to destroy the teeth, of an advanced age. Performing a movement of the lower jaw, the post-click on the e-shredding when you try to open the mouth, the jaw can move from side to side.

Osteoarthritis of the elbow joint

This type of arthritis is less common than other forms of the disease, as well as the load on the joint is practically negligible. In the presence of inflammation at the place of location of the arthritis, belly, and cheeks, a click, a creak, crush, when the movement of the hand, syndrome, painful, and slightly increases the temperature of the body.

Osteoarthritis of the foot

This is a variation of osteoarthritis, also called coxarthrosis. Disease of the ankle joint is characterized by fatigue, walking, edema (when you connect to inflammation in the process), armbar syndrome (especially at night). Taking a stroll with the person you feel the pressure on the ankle joint. When coxarthrosis of corruption involving the joint, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. The weakened tendon is called the subluxation (the joint surfaces and partially touching). When a dislocation of the joints of the extremities, wholly at odds.

The symptoms of osteoarthritis

In the early stages of arthritis, your symptoms may not bother you, but the disease is picking up speed, and demonstrate for the first time, and follow the signs. The main symptom of osteoarthritis is pain, and depending on the location of the injury to the jaw, neck, shoulders, spine, elbows, wrists, fingers, hands, and feet, and the tribes, and in the thigh, and the ankle joint). The pain is often lead to the right character, but with the active progress of the disease will increase and become unbearable. The main symptoms of osteoarthritis:

• the initial discomfort and pain stiffness of the joint after a good night's sleep, or to pleasure, which takes place during the day).
• the mechanic of the discomfort and pain that occurs at the end of work, loads of work, running, exercise, walking, hiking);
• the night pain the (venous stasis causes severe pain in the middle of the night);
• it depends on the condition of the weather (change of weather aggravate the condition);
• to crunch, to creak, crack, or featureless popping in the joint;
• a limited mobility.
• the deformation of the affected joints;
• seizures, nasty muscle spasms;
• lameness;
• redness and swelling at the site of the affected joint (for inflammation).

The diagnosis of osteoarthritis

The self-diagnosis of "arthritis," do not put it in. With the headaches that are disturbing or noise in the joint you should go to the doctor. It will then examine the patient and give the direction of the physician, podiatrist, the traumatologist, a doctor, a rheumatologist, and the surgeon and neurologist.

To win, we have to explore the doctor-orthopedist. Prior to the examination, the physician takes a history, information about the patient's on a genetic or chronic diseases and the examination. Then, the patient is sent for an examination.

Laboratory tests

When a diagnosis of arthritis, you can need to this analysis:

1. the general examination of blood, about the blood in the finger;
2. biochemical analysis of the blood of the rheumatology testing, collection of blood from a vein);
3. the analysis of the urine;
4. the analysis of the oxygen in the synovial fluid, or punching the patient in the knee (approximately the middle of the introduction of a needle into the joint).

Systems and diagnostic tools

An x – ray of this survey show the stage of the osteoarthritis, the lower the change in the structure of the joint and the strain with the help of x-rays. Before the examination the patient should remove the decoration, so as not to distort the results in the picture. It is necessary to take off her clothes for the part of the body that will be examined (if one is in need of an x-ray of the knee joint, you must remove it the trousers; the plaster is not cleared). Then the doctor tells you that you need to take images of the patient from the stage. The diagnosis of the patient is served by a lead apron in the groin area, and the area of the thyroid gland, the towel will prevent the passage of these places, the x-rays. and then the picture is taken.

The beam of radiation is passed through the soft tissue, but is absorbed in the hard (bone, tooth). Therefore, the soft tissue in the x-ray image obtained by the darker colour, and of a continuous tissue, of course. The x – ray is the best diagnostic method for tissue to bone, as well as the pictures of well-presented, bones, and joints.

A CT (computed tomography) scan – a method of imaging, by showing a body, a bone or tissue into the cutting-in depth. TC is run if the x-ray is not enough, only exactly what the arthritis has not been identified. The procedure is carried out in a few minutes. The patient lies on a table, and the pre-taking of the clothes and the decoration of the metal. Then, the ring-detector (mike) rotates around the patient lying flat, and are made up of the photos. To lie down while the TC is in need of a real estate property.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) – a method of imaging. Unlike the CT the best that makes the fabric soft, but it does not make a distinction between the presence of calcium in the bones, as opposed to computed tomography, which deals in detail with the osseous tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging when a read is assigned to, to find out more information about the state, in the vicinity of the tissue, or to explore the root cause of the disease. The diagnosis with the help of magnetic resonance imaging is the most expensive one, but only.

Ultra-sonography (ultrasound) – safe, non-invasive method with no radiation and harmful substance. The doctor leads of the sensor, the problem is in the area, and it is submitted to the internal structure of the joint. This is a method of diagnosis of osteoarthritis, low-cost, safe, and informative.

Forecast

The arthritis has a good prognosis when it comes to the life of a patient, and the disease is not fatal, but complications can lead to disability. However, if you heal completely from osteoarthritis, it is possible, as well as the age of destruction is occurring more rapidly than the recovery of damaged sites. The illness progresses slowly increased, and can evolve over the course of several decades. When you discover the first signs of arthritis, you can slow down still more with the strain, and the violation of the functions of the joint the treatment is still at an early stage.

Prevention

Many times, the result is the uneven, heavy loads, suffering from knee and hip are the joints, for this reason, you need to rely on the strength of the security of the cargo, and get rid of the excess weight, if any, for the joints, they worked a complete and consistent manner.