Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthritis) refers to the degeneration of the cartilage that
lines the knee joint.
In most cases, osteoarthritis results from aging and progressive cartilage wear. It may be accelerated by fractures, inflammatory arthritis, or limb deformities.
Pain is the most frequent and limiting symptom in this disease. Gonarthrosis can also lead to limited mobility or swelling of the knee. Some patients have the sensation of their knee moving or of a foreign body inside the joint.
In addition to characterizing the most frequent symptoms, a targeted and detailed clinical examination is necessary. fundamental. Identifying the exact location of the pain allows you to see which area of the knee is most affected. worn. The presence of knee deformities should also be assessed, as should the tension/integrity of ligaments. X-rays are usually sufficient to diagnose severe arthrosis. In mild cases or moderate, it may be necessary to carry out an MRI scan to better quantify the wear and its exact location.
Treatment depends on severity. Mild to moderate arthrosis can be treated with cartilage protectors (glucosamine and chondroitin) and physiotherapy. Viscosupplementation (infiltration with hyaluronic acid) or infiltrations with growth factors can be a useful tool in the management of these cases. In cases where there is associated deformity, surgical correction can interrupt or delay, and in some cases even reverse, the arthrosis process in progress. In severe cases, arthroplasty (prosthesis) is the most consensual solution with the most predictable results, and is the only option that provides long-term relief from complaints. The knee joint is divided into three compartments. The inner (medial) compartment, the outer (lateral) compartment and the kneecap. Depending on the extent of the arthrosis, we can opt for a total prosthesis or a prosthesis that replaces only the affected compartment. In the unicompartmental prosthesis, only the affected compartment is replaced, maintaining all the original biomechanics of the knee, which gives a more natural sensation after surgery and a faster, less painful faster and less painful recovery. In cases where the wear and tear has already extended to several compartments of the knee, it is a total prosthesis is required.
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