Chronic disease of joints (articular cartilage) of non-inflammatory nature is called deforming osteoarthritis. The disease is associated with a decrease in the number of proteoglucans - the main constituent of cartilage, which leads to degeneration and rapid aging of the articular cartilage.

Among the total number of joint diseases, this disease is most common, according to statistics, on our planet from 10 to 16% of the population suffers from osteoarthritis. Women of the age group from 45 to 55 years are more likely to suffer from this disease than men. Deforming osteoarthritis affects almost the entire population of our planet at the age of more than 60 years.

Causes of the disease The most common cause of defeat with osteoarthritis is excessive strain on the joints. The development of this disease can lead to: standing work and overweight, impaired posture and sporting hobbies (running and jumping, lifting weights). It is possible that the contribution to the development of osteoarthrosis is made by: insufficient blood supply to the joint, disruption of the hormonal background and metabolism, old age, genetic (hereditary) predisposition to cartilage tissue lesions, limb injuries, as well as diseases such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

How does osteoarthritis develop?.

Cartilage tissue affected by this disease begins to age quickly. It loses its elasticity, the surfaces of the joints become rough and covered with cracks. In some areas, because of the complete abrasion of the cartilaginous tissue, the bones of the extremities. Bone tissue, after the disappearance of cartilage, grows on the articular surfaces, causing a stable deformation of the joint.

Deforming osteoarthritis most often affects the knee (gonarthrosis) and hip joints (coxatrosis), carpal interphalangeal joints, but this disease can affect any joint of the human body.

How does the disease manifest itself?.

The first manifestation of deforming osteoarthritis is the occurrence of joint pain when moving. Osteoarthritis of the hip joint manifests itself as painful sensations when walking - pain waves go from the top of the thigh to the knee. With arthrosis of the knee, painful sensations are accompanied by descent along the stairs, with the shoulder joint being affected, difficulties arise when the arm moves up and down.

The main symptoms that characterize this disease are pain in the joints that occur in the evening (against the background of physical activity per day) and disappearing by morning, after a night rest and sleep. When moving from a state of rest to activity, for a short period there are so-called "starting" painful sensations that quickly go away with the onset of motor activity.

Over time, painful sensations increase, the pain becomes unbearable under any movement, the joint deforms with complete loss of its mobility.

In this stage of the development of the disease, it is only possible to relieve the inflammatory process accompanying arthrosis, and to reduce pain, however, complete restoration of the disturbed cartilage tissue is no longer possible.

As a rule, the development of osteoarthritis proceeds slowly and the disease develops in one joint. However, after a while, the defeat of other joints develops, the first of which are those for which the greatest load was caused by the need to relieve the joint affected by the disease in the first place.

dr20. en.