Patellofemoral arthrosis of the knee joint: features of the disease and treatment

Patellofemoral arthrosis of the knee joint is a definite medical term widely used to diagnose pathologies associated with abnormal development of the cartilaginous tissue of the joint.

Causes of the disease

Patellofemoral arthrosis occurs for a variety of reasons, in particular, such as:

• Deformation of the joint;
• Pathology of development and functioning of the knee joint;
• Increased load on the knee;
• Old age.

This disease can occur in the presence of any of the causes or a whole complex of pathologies and disorders.

Features of the course of the disease and symptoms

Osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral articulation of the knee arises mainly due to excessive loads on a certain area of the body. Over time, the pathology can pass into arthrosis. The syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Feeling of stiffness of movements;
• Painful sensations and a crunch in the patella;
• Discomfort and soreness when trying to bend the legs in the knee.

Symptoms of the disease largely depend on the degree of its severity. At the first degree, no structural changes are observed in the patellar region, and the development of pathology can be recognized by the presence of pulling unpleasant sensations in the knee region. In this case, the patient is shown complete peace, perhaps with local application of cold. Also it is necessary in the subsequent to avoid overloads of a knee joint.

The second degree is characterized by the fact that a change in the structure and damage to the cartilaginous tissue begins. Clinically, this manifests itself in the form of intense pain, which is aggravated by movements of the knee, which can limit the motor activity of the patient. In this case, examination and subsequent treatment is required.

As for the 3rd degree of pathology, when performing an X-ray, one can see a deformation of the patellofemoral joint, which becomes an indication for the operation.

Conducting diagnostics

Diagnose patellofemoral arthrosis only clinically. The doctor spends the palpation of the outer and inner sides of the knee joint. Additional laboratory tests and clinical tests to establish a diagnosis are not required. Initially, the doctor determines painful points by shifting the patella to the sides. In this case, the patient should take a comfortable position lying on his back, completely relaxing his legs.

Often there can be bilateral patellofemoral arthrosis, which is why the diagnosis should be complex. In some cases, radiography and ultrasound are used to confirm the diagnosis.

Symptomatic treatment

With significant loads and the presence of pathologies of cartilaginous tissue, patellofemoral arthrosis of the knee joint may occur. Treatment in this case is aimed at eliminating the existing painful sensations and restoring the damaged cartilage and joints. With minor pains, it is often sufficient to carry out symptomatic therapy, which involves:

• Decreased motor activity;
• Carrying out cryoprocedures;
• Introduction of drugs into the joint tissue (injections).

In the presence of pain, you need to reduce the load on your knees. If it is necessary to perform movements, you need to use fixative dressings, knee pads, elastic bandages.

Minor pain helps to eliminate cryoprocedures. To do this, prepare ice cubes, put them in cotton cloth, folded in several layers, and apply to a sore spot. Such compresses will help to remove the pain after the applied load on the knee joint and relieve tension.

Knowing how to treat patellofemoral arthrosis, you can get rid of the syndrome at the initial stage and prevent its further development, as well as the occurrence of complications.

Physiotherapy sessions

When conducting complex therapy, it is necessary to include in the treatment program and physiotherapy procedures. Often, laser therapy is used, which implies the use of a focused beam of light. This method helps in the course of stages 2 and 3 of the syndrome.

Patellofemoral arthrosis is also treated by applying magnetic resonance therapy, ultrasound, thermal therapy, cryotherapy, electrophoresis. The best effect is provided by cryotherapy, which implies the use of liquid nitrogen.

Medication Therapy

If patellofemoral arthrosis is diagnosed, the treatment implies the use of medications as well, in particular, such as:

• Anti-inflammatory drugs;
• Chondroprotectors;
• Compresses, rubbers.

Anti-inflammatory drugs help to eliminate severe pain. Often, such drugs as "Diclofenac", "Ketoprofen", "Indomethacin", "Ibuprofen" are used.

Chondroprotectors are used to repair the damaged cartilage tissue of the knee joint. They are available in tablet form, as well as in the form of ointments and creams. Among the tablets, you need to allocate drugs "Structum", "Don", "Teraflex", "Chondroitin." Among the ointments and creams "Voltaren", "Viprosal", "Diklak gel" have proved to be well, as they improve elasticity and promote the strengthening of muscle fibers. "Finalgel" and "Nikofleks" help improve blood microcirculation.

To eliminate pain and inflammation, additionally designate various rubbers. Among such means it is necessary to allocate "Dimexide", applied in the form of compresses. The duration of the procedure is from half an hour to an hour. To eliminate signs of arthrosis, you need to undergo a full course of treatment, consisting of 20 procedures.

"Bishofit" promotes resorption of arthrosis. To get the desired effect, you need to apply a compress in the knee area and wrap it with a dense woolen cloth. Compresses with medications are widely used for therapy. They help to remove pain and inflammation. It is worth remembering that the medicinal product must be selected only by the attending doctor, indicating the exact dosage and duration of the course of therapy.

Patellofemoral arthrosis of the first and second stages is well treated and by using intraarticular injections. As drugs, anesthetics, glucocorticosteroids, chondroprotectors are used.

Folk techniques and wearing orthopedic shoes

Osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint is treated and with the help of folk techniques that help get rid of discomfort and achieve a significant improvement in health. Normalize the metabolism helps mochrica, which is why it should be consumed in food, adding to the first dishes or salads. It is also used as a tincture for rubbing the knees. To prepare the product you need to pour 2 tablespoons of chopped grass with vodka and insist in a dry dark place.

Widely used and burdock. You can apply fresh burdock leaves to the sore spot, or you can knead them a little, dip them into alcohol and attach them to the affected area, and then wrap the knee with a film and a warm cloth. Leave the burdock leaves for the whole night.

At the initial stage of the pathology, it is necessary to try to minimize the motor load as much as possible, and also to use special means for fixing the knee joint. For this, elastic knee pads are used.

Surgical intervention

If conservative therapy did not bring the desired result, patellofemoral arthrosis of the knee joint is treated by surgical intervention.

In particular, arthroscopy is carried out. The operation involves the execution of a small incision, through which an arthroscope is inserted into the cavity of the affected joint. The device is equipped with a camera, which allows you to carefully remove the damaged cartilage and replace them if necessary with an artificial cloth.

Lateral incision implies the following: a patellar ligament is cut to return it to its original position. After the operation, it is necessary to undergo a course of rehabilitation, which involves the restoration of motor activity, compliance with a special diet, as well as the implementation of special exercises. During the rehabilitation, decoctions of herbs, warming trays and compresses are widely used.

Main methods of prevention

To prevent the occurrence of arthrosis in the knee joint, it is necessary to carry out prophylaxis. For this you must:

• Take a bath with sea salt;
• Regularly rubbing with alcohol tinctures;
• To take herbal medicinal herbs;
• Healthy food;
• Give enough time to sleep and rest;
• Limit consumption of salty, sweet and smoked products.

In addition, for preventive and curative purposes, you need to perform special exercises to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the knee joint. If you experience the first painful sensations, you should always contact the doctor, as timely treatment will help quickly get rid of the pathology.