Arthrosis is a degenerative disease of the cartilage tissue that can affect the joints of the vertebrae and all the bones of the skeleton.The Hip Joint (HJ) is the largest and most stressed bony joint.Therefore, luxation (deformation of the hip joint) is a very common cause of disability among patients over 50 years of age.
Coxarthrosis (Hip Joint Arthrosis): Symptoms
Reasons
The causes of coxarthrosis are various.This pathology can cause:
- Age-related dystrophic changes.
- Among athletes, constant physical activity and carrying heavy loads for several years.
- Congenital dysplasia.
- Tj injuries.
- Necrosis of the femoral head (perthes disease).
The head of the femur, covered with elastic cartilage, is located in the acetabulum of the pelvic bones.
There are unilateral lesions (if the disease affects one joint) and there are bilateral lesions - when both articular hip surfaces are affected.
Symptoms of arthrosis of the hip joint
When diagnosed, the following symptoms of hip arthrosis are observed:
- Thinning of the cartilage, it becomes dry and rough.
- Thickening of the main bone, growth to the sides.
- Fibrotization and inflammation of the joint capsule.
- The appearance of inflammatory exudate in the capsule.
- The rigidity of the union, the occurrence of contracts.
Externally, these changes are manifested by the following symptoms:
- Pain in the groin, hip and knee joints.
- A symptom of pain that begins after warming up (in the morning).
- Stiff, uncertain, protracted gait.
- By shortening the leg on the affected side (due to contracture).
- Femoral muscle weakness and atrophy.
- A crisis in the union.
Stages of the disease
Based on signs and symptoms, three stages of the disease can be distinguished:
First
- Discomfort and pain usually subside with rest.
- Absence of external symptoms - darkness, hardness, atrophy.
Such symptoms are especially alarming patients, and few people pay attention to episodic pain, much less to treat it.
However, in the initial stage, arthrosis of the hip joint is still a reversible disease.
Secondary
- Painful symptoms become more intense and may persist even at rest.
- Functional features of hip joint reduction:
- Limitations appear for hip abduction and internal rotation
- Absence is observed
- X-rays show:
- marginal osteophytes;
- deformation and change in the contour of the head;
- Reduction of joint space.
The third stage
- The pain becomes constant, and even the most subtle night pain begins.
- The patient has to rely on a cane.
- There is a sharp restriction of movements and atrophy of the glial, thigh and calf muscles.
- There is a noticeable shortening of the leg and darkness.
- Due to excessive osteophytes, the joint space practically disappears, fusion and complete loss of function of the hip joint occurs.
This happens when the first attack occurs at a very young age - early massacres.Most likely, a person forgets about it and remembers it at the age of 50-60, when joint deformations are very significant, affecting the quality of life.
Diagnostics
X-ray and functional diagnostics are performed.The orthopedist not only deciphers the image, but also rotates, bends the femur in all directions, and examines the symptoms that occur while walking.
However, when a patient is suspected of hip joint roughness, leading experts refer to diagnostics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).The explanation for this is the absolute safety of the procedure and high information content.This is an MRI examination that allows detecting the smallest changes of the hip joint at an early stage, which helps to develop the most effective treatment tactics.
Treatment of hip joint stiffness
According to the principle of treatment "The sooner the better".
Early coxarthrosis can be treated:
- Chondroprotectors.
- Outdoor physical therapy - swimming, aerobics, walking and cycling.
- Regulation of co-authorized physical loads.
- Weight correction (down).
- Physiotherapy treatment
- Extraction procedures.
- Massage sessions.
- It is pressed to the area of pain.
Painful symptoms can be relieved with NSAIDs.
Annual sanatorium treatment is also very effective.
Analgesic intra-articular corticosteroid injections can be used to treat more severe pain in the later stages.
Treatment of late-stage coxarthrosis is very difficult due to the complete removal of the hip joint.In this case, chondroprotectors are completely useless.
All kinds of external treatments in the form of ointments and gels can relieve muscle spasms and pain, but certainly will not affect the condition of the patient immobilized joint in any way.Therefore, by smearing the wound with ointment, you should take a sensitive approach to all kinds of advertising in order to soon forget about the disease.
Hip replacement
In the third stage of coxontrosis, the only option for complete restoration of the hip joint is surgery - endoprosthetics (arthroplasty) of the hip joint.
Endoprosthesis consists of two components: a head and a cup.
This operation is not easy:
- A long rehabilitation period is required after the operation.
- Joint healing is painful (pain can last for a year).
- You will have to walk a few times using a walker or a bundle for a while.