Coxarthrosis

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 connection with this, this disease has spread to all age groups.

Coxarthrosis refers to arthrosis that is not inflammatory in nature, in which at first there are changes of a degenerative-dystrophic nature in the cartilage of the hip joint, which lines the surfaces of the articulating bones, and in later stages bone changes directly occur. In the course of a course of gradual development of the disease with coxarthrosis, therefore, there is a violation of the naturally normal functions of the affected hip joint, which ultimately leads to a violation of the functions of the musculoskeletal system of the sick person as a whole.

Most often, 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 its early stages. But in its later stages, it will hardly be possible to do without surgical intervention, and only one thing can help to avoid the deficiency - prostheses of the joint affected by coxarthrosis. Unfortunately, people with coxarthrosis, not giving importance to minor pain in the hip joint at the initial stage of the disease, avoid going to the doctor, and osteoarthritis of the hip joint, meanwhile, continues to progress day by day, gradually transforming itself. in a more advanced form.

How does coxarthrosis develop?

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

1. the end of the femur itself, similar to a ball;
2. acetabulum, similar to a small billiard bag, located in the iliac part of the pelvis;
3. special articular cartilage on the surface of both bones, similar to a spongy substance and necessary as a shock absorber, compressing during movement and straightening 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 joint, in addition, there is muscle tissue, such as the femoral, gluteal and other muscles, the functionality of which also depends on the condition of the hip joint.

During the movement, when the articular cartilage is compressed, a specific liquid is "squeezed" out of the joint, which is a kind of lubricant for the bones that articulate in the joint. In addition, the articular cartilage itself also performs the function of evenly distributing loads on the surface of the joint, being an excellent shock absorber during movements.

The very occurrence 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 later disappears in some places. If no measures are taken to stop this process, in the places where the cartilage atrophy described above occurs, the bone itself will grow directly, trying to "fill" the resulting void in the joint cavity. As a result of such bone changes, osteophytes, that is, "spikes" in the bone, begin to appear. These deformities, in turn, lead to a violation of the congruence of the bones that articulate in the hip joint and the subsequent "abrasion" of the remaining healthy areas of articular cartilage.

Causes of hip joint osteoarthritis

The causes of coxarthrosis, by which it occurs, can be divided into primary, of uncertain etiology, and secondary, resulting from other diseases, for example, such as:

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

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

Symptoms of coxarthrosis

The first symptoms of coxarthrosis directly depend 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;
• emergent claudication;
• stiffness that appeared in the hip joint;
• downward progress in hip range of motion;
• weakness of the femoral muscles and a noticeable decrease in their volume.

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

• Symptoms of the 1st degree of coxarthrosis: in the hip joint there are pains of a moderate nature and only after the joint has been subjected to an intense load for a long time. After removing the load and resting, this syndrome is completely stopped. 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 hip 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 often more so than the iliofemoral joint itself. Sometimes, with symptoms of second-degree coxarthrosis, pain begins to appear even at rest, and after the load is transferred to the affected joint, quite a long rest is already required for its relief. Lameness starts to appear when running or walking for a long time. At the same time, the strength of the thigh muscles is greatly reduced and the range of motion of the joint is also underestimated.
• Symptoms of 3rd Degree Coxarthrosis: Persistent pain in the hip joint, which does not go away even after extremely long rest or constant 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 joint is almost minimal. When walking, a sick person is forced to use assistive devices, such as a cane, to get around.

If such arthrosis of the hip joint develops only in the hip joint of one leg, then your weakened femoral muscles drive the development of a lateral displacement of the pelvis, as a result of which the length of the leg with the joint affected by coxarthrosis decreases.

Diagnosis of coxarthrosis

When diagnosing coxarthrosis, the symptoms of coxarthrosis described above are necessarily taken into account in combination with the data obtained from an x-ray examination of the patient. This technique offers the opportunity to determine not only the degree of coxarthrosis, but also 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 the injury to the hip joint, which is directly related to the developmental mechanism of coxarthrosis.

In addition to the diagnostic methods already listed, computed tomography and magnetic resonance methods can also be used, providing the opportunity for a thorough and detailed study of the developing pathology, such as, for example, the structure of bone tissue, whose deformation is a companion of this illness. With regard to magnetic resonance imaging, this method also allows the evaluation of the pathological changes to which the soft tissues surrounding the joint affected by coxarthrosis were submitted.

Treatment of coxarthrosis disease

The choice of treatment for coxarthrosis directly depends on the symptoms of coxarthrosis and its stage. Generally, with the first and second degrees of coxarthrosis, traditional conservative drug therapy is performed, which consists of taking chondroprotectors, vasodilators and, if indicated, also muscle relaxants. During the period of time when coxarthrosis is especially acute, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also used. It should be borne in mind that this treatment must be carried out by a specialist doctor, since 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. Especially effective, in combination with traditional drug treatment of coxarthrosis, is the use of magnetotherapy in the treatment of arthrosis using a special device.

The impact on the body of a patient with coxarthrosis with diet has no direct therapeutic effect, but it is recommended that obese people reduce their body weight, as it allows to reduce the load on the affected joint, thus alleviating the acute symptoms of coxarthrosis.

As for the third degree of the disease with coxarthrosis, whose symptoms are the most painful, the treatment, as such, is carried out only through surgical intervention, for example, hip arthroplasty. Statistical data indicate 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 lead a very active lifestyle afterwards.

The lifespan of such a prosthesis is about 15-20 years, but at the end of its lifespan, a second operation is required to replace the worn-out stent.

Observation,is important! Don't get diagnosed!If symptoms of coxarthrosis appear, you should consult an orthopedic doctor, as only a qualified specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe the most optimal treatment.

Prevention of coxarthrosis disease

The diseases of coxarthrosis can be avoided if the necessary prevention of coxarthrosis is carried out:

• mandatory and timely treatment of inflammatory joint diseases;
• timely treatment of joint dysplasia;
• mandatory correct and reasonable physical activity, especially exercises with weights, which must be performed correctly;
• mandatory control of your body weight, keeping it in the norm;
• prevention of joint injuries.