Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of cartilaginous tissue that can affect the joints of the vertebrae and all bones of the skeleton.The hip joint (HJ) is the largest and most stressed bony joint.Therefore, Coxarthrosis (deforming osteoarthritis of the hip joint) is a very common cause of disability in patients over 50 years of age.
Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint): symptoms
Reasons
The causes of coxarthrosis are varied.This pathology can lead to:
- Age-related dystrophic changes in cartilage.
- Constant physical activity among athletes and carrying heavy loads for several years.
- Congenital dysplasia.
- JT 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 injuries (when the disease affects one joint) and bilateral injuries - when both articular surfaces of the hip are affected.
Symptoms of osteoarthritis 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 underlying bone, its growth to the sides.
- Fibrotization and inflammation of the joint capsule.
- The appearance of inflammatory exudate in the capsule.
- Joint stiffness, occurrence of contractures.
Externally, these changes are manifested by the following symptoms:
- Joint pain, radiating to groin, hip and knee.
- The initial pain symptom (morning) that disappears after warming up.
- A stiff, uncertain and limping gait.
- Shortening the leg on the affected side (the reason is contracture).
- Weakening and atrophy of the femoral muscle.
- A tightness in the joint.
Stages of the disease
Based on the signs and symptoms, three stages of the disease can be distinguished:
First
- Discomfort and pain, usually decreasing with rest.
- Absence of external symptoms - lameness, stiffness, atrophy.
These signs do not particularly alarm patients, and few people pay attention to episodic pain, much less begin to treat it.
But precisely at the initial stage, arthrosis of the hip joint is still a reversible disease.
Second degree
- Painful symptoms become more intense and may persist even at rest.
- The functional characteristics of the hip joint decrease:
- restrictions appear in hip abduction and internal rotation
- lameness is observed
- X-rays show:
- marginal osteophytes;
- deformation of the head and change in its contour;
- reduction of joint space.
Third stage
- The pain becomes constant and the more unbearable nighttime pain also begins.
- The patient is forced to rely on a cane.
- There is a strong restriction of movement and atrophy of the gluteal muscles, thighs and calves.
- There is noticeable shortening of the leg and lameness.
- Due to excessive growth of osteophytes, the joint space practically disappears, fusion occurs and complete loss of function of the hip joint.
It turns out that the first attack occurs at a fairly young age - in the early forties.The person probably forgets and remembers already at the age of 50-60, when the deformations in the joint become significant, affecting the quality of life.
Diagnosis
X-rays and functional diagnostics are performed.The orthopedist not only deciphers the image, but also rotates, bends the femur in all directions and studies the symptoms that arise when walking.
However, increasingly, if a patient is suspected of having hip joint coxarthrosis, leading specialists refer for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis.The explanation for this is the absolute safety and high informative content of the procedure.It is the MRI examination that allows you to detect the slightest changes in the hip joint at an early stage, which contributes to the development of the most effective treatment tactics.
Treatment of hip joint coxarthrosis
Treatment is carried out according to the principle “the sooner the better”.
Early Coxarthrosis can be treated with:
- Chondroprotectors.
- Light physiotherapy – swimming, aerobics, walking and cycling.
- Regulation of the physical loads permitted on the joint.
- Weight correction (down).
- Physiotherapy treatment
- Extraction procedures.
- Massage sessions.
- Compresses on the area of pain.
Painful symptoms can be relieved with NSAIDs.
Annual sanatorium treatment is also very effective.
Intra-articular corticosteroid injections for pain relief may be used to treat more severe pain in the later stages.
Treatment of late coxarthrosis is very difficult due to the complete obliteration of the hip joint.Chondroprotectors in this case are absolutely useless.
All kinds of external remedies in the form of ointments and gels can relieve muscle spasms and pain, but, of course, they will not in any way affect the condition of the diseased immobilized joint.Therefore, you need to have a sensible approach to all types of advertising that guarantees that by smearing the wound with ointment, you will soon be able to forget about the disease.
Hip replacement
The only option for complete restoration of the hip joint in the third stage of coxarthrosis is surgery - endoprosthetics (athroplasty) of the hip joint.
The stent graft consists of two components: a head and a cup.
This operation is not easy:
- After surgery, a long period of rehabilitation is required.
- Joint healing is painful (pain may persist for a year).
- You will have to walk for some time with the help of a walker or using a cane for support.