Coxarthrosis

What is this disease with such a complicated name - coxarthrosis? This disease is a deforming osteoarthritis of the thigh joint and is often also called osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Currently, coxarthrosis is the leader among diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which are degenerative-dystrophic in nature. There are many reasons that contribute to the occurrence of coxarthrosis and in this regard, this disease has spread to all age groups.

Coxarthrosis refers to non-inflammatory osteoarthritis, in which initially there are changes of degenerative-dystrophic nature in the cartilage of the thigh, which lines the surfaces of the articular bone, and in later stages bone changes already occur. directly. In the course of such a gradually developing course of coxarthrosis disease, consequently, there is a violation of the normal normal functions of the affected hip joint, which eventually leads to a violation of the functions of the musculoskeletal system of the sick person as well. a whole.

For the most part, osteoarthritis of the hip joint affects people over the age of forty. Of course, coxarthrosis, like other diseases, can be successfully treated without surgery, but only in the early stages. But in its later stages, it will hardly be possible to do it without surgery, and only one thing can help avoid the disability - the prosthesis of the ankle affected by coxarthrosis. Unfortunately, people with coxarthrosis, by not paying attention to minor pain in the thigh joint in the initial stage of the disease, avoid going to the doctor and osteoarthritis of the thigh joint meanwhile continues to progress day by day, gradually turning into a moreadvanced.

How does coxarthrosis develop?

Let's look at the mechanism of development of coxarthrosis disease. And let's start with the fact that the hip joint consists of two bones:

1. the end of the femur itself, resembling a ball;
2. acetabulum, similar to a small billiard pocket, located in the iliac part of the pelvis;
3. special articular cartilage on the surface of both bones, resembling a sponge substance and needed as a shock absorber, which compresses during movement and runs in its absence;
4. as well as the ligaments that form the cavity of the hip joint itself and thus form the joint capsule.

Around the wrist, in addition, there is muscle tissue, such as the femoral, gluteal and other muscles, on the functionality of which also depends on the condition of the hip joint.

During movement, when the articular cartilage is compressed, a specific fluid is "squeezed" from it into the joint, which is a kind of lubricant for the bones that articulate in the joint. Also, the articular cartilage itself, in addition, performs the function of even distribution of loads on the surface of the joint, being an excellent shock absorber during movements.

The very appearance of the disease with coxarthrosis is mainly due to the fact that the nutrition of the cartilage of the hip joint is disturbed. The cartilage becomes thinner and then disappears in some places. If no measures are taken to stop this process, then in those places where cartilage atrophy described above occurs, the bone itself will grow directly, thus trying to "fill" the resulting gap in the ankle cavity. As a result of such bone changes, i. e. , osteophytes, i. e. "grays" in the bone, begin to appear. These deformities, in turn, lead to a violation of the bone congruence that articulates at the hip joint and the subsequent "erosion" of the remaining healthy areas of the articular cartilage.

Causes of osteoarthritis of the hip

The causes of coxarthrosis, from which it appears, can be divided into primary, with an unclear and secondary etiology, as a result of other diseases, for example, such as:

• hip dislocation, which is congenital;
• hip dysplasia;
• aseptic necrosis of the femoral head itself;
• has previously suffered various injuries, such as a femoral neck fracture;
• Perthes disease;
• inflammatory processes in the hip joint;

Since coxarthrosis occurs not only in one but simultaneously in both hip joints, it is quite possible to assert that bilateral coxarthrosis is not uncommon. Although with primary coxarthrosis, the knee joint or spine is often affected.

Symptoms of coxarthrosis

The first symptoms of coxarthrosis depend directly on the degree of damage to the hip joint, as well as the stage of development of this disease, and the main ones are:

• pain that manifests itself during movement, in the hip joint and disappears at rest;
• manifested lameness;
• stiffness that appeared at the hip joint;
• decreasing progress in the range of motion of the thigh;
• weakness of the femoral muscles and a marked decrease in their volume.

Separately, we consider the symptoms of coxarthrosis, depending on the degree of disease with this disease:

• Symptoms of first degree coxarthrosis: pain of a moderate nature appears in the thigh joint and only after the joint has been subjected to an intense load for a long time. After lifting the load and resting, this syndrome stops completely. With the first degree of coxarthrosis symptoms, gait remains normal and the range of motion of the joint does not change.
• Symptoms of second degree coxarthrosis: pain in the groin joint is already felt more intense than in the first degree, but in addition, they are projected in the inguinal region. In view of the developing muscle atrophy, the knee also begins to ache, and quite often more than the ilio-femoral joint itself. Sometimes, with symptoms of second-degree coxarthrosis, the pain begins to appear even at rest, and after the load is transferred to the affected joint, a long enough rest is already required to relieve it. Lameness begins to appear when you run or walk for a long time. At the same time, the strength of the thigh muscles is greatly reduced, and the range of motion of the wrist is also underestimated.
• Symptoms of third degree coxarthrosis: persistent pain in the hip joint, which does not go away even after an extremely long rest or continuous rest, even at night. The pain has already affected the entire leg. Against the background of pain, the patient develops insomnia and various sleep disorders. There is a strong atrophy of the muscles of the thigh, buttocks and lower leg, while the motor volume of the ankle is almost minimal. When walking, a sick person is forced to use assistive devices, such as p. sh. , a cane, to move.

If such an arthrosis of the thigh joint develops only in the thigh joint of one leg, then its weakened femoral muscles give rise to the development of a lateral displacement of the pelvis, as a result of which the length of the leg with the joint affected bycoxarthrosis is reduced.

Diagnosis of coxarthrosis

When diagnosing coxarthrosis, the symptoms of coxarthrosis described above are necessarily taken into account in combination with the data obtained from the x-ray examination of the patient. This technique provides an opportunity to determine not only the degree of coxarthrosis, but to identify the causes that served as a catalyst for the development of coxarthrosis. Radiography offers an excellent opportunity to determine the changes that specifically caused damage to the hip joint, which is directly related to the mechanism of coxarthrosis development.

In addition to the diagnostic methods already listed, the methods of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can also be used, providing the opportunity for a detailed study of developing pathology, such as, for example, the structure of bone tissue, the deformation of which. is the accompaniment of this disease. In terms of magnetic resonance, this method still allows an assessment of the pathological disorders suffered by the soft tissues surrounding the joint affected by coxarthrosis.

Treatment of coxarthrosis

The choice of treatment for coxarthrosis depends directly on the symptoms of coxarthrosis and its stage. Usually, with the first and second degree of coxarthrosis, traditional conservative drug therapy is performed, which consists of taking chondroprotectors, vasodilators and, if indicated, muscle relaxants. During the period when coxarthrosis is particularly acute, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also used. It should be borne in mind that such treatment should be performed by a specialist doctor, as self-medication, unlike traditional medicine, can have an extremely negative effect on the patient's internal organs and completely suppress the ability to restore hyaline cartilage.

Also, in case of coxarthrosis, various physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy are prescribed. Particularly effective, in combination with the traditional drug treatment of coxarthrosis, is the use of magnetotherapy in the treatment of osteoarthritis using a special device.

Impact on the body of a patient with diet coxarthrosis does not have a direct therapeutic effect, but it is recommended that obese people reduce body weight, as it makes it possible to reduce the load on the affected joint, thus relieving the acute symptoms of coxarthrosis.

With regard to the third degree of the disease with coxarthrosis, the symptoms of which are the most painful, treatment, as such, is carried out only with surgical intervention, for example, hip arthroplasty. Statistical data show that after surgery, the absolute restoration of the functions of a limb with deforming arthrosis of the hip joint is achieved in 95% of cases, which makes it possible to then lead a very active lifestyle.

The service life of such a prosthesis is about 15-20 years, but at the end of its lifespan, a second operation is needed to replace the worn endoprosthesis.

Note,is important! Do not diagnose yourself!If symptoms of coxarthrosis appear, you should consult an orthopedic doctor, as only a qualified specialist can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the most optimal treatment.

Prevention of coxarthrosis

Coxarthrosis can be avoided if the necessary prevention of coxarthrosis is performed:

• mandatory and timely treatment of inflammatory diseases of the joints;
• timely treatment of joint dysplasia;
• Correct and reasonable mandatory physical activity, especially weight training, which must be performed correctly;
• mandatory control of your body weight, keeping it at the norm;
• prevention of joint damage.