Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the cartilage 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 bone 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 in athletes and carrying heavy loads for several years.
- Congenital dysplasia.
- TJ injuries.
- Necrosis of the femoral head (Perthes disease).
The femoral head, covered with elastic cartilage, lies in the hip socket of the pelvic bones.
There are unilateral lesions (when the disease affects one joint) and bilateral lesions – 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:
- The cartilage becomes thinner, it becomes dry and rough.
- Thickening of the underlying bone, its lateral growth.
- Fibrotization and inflammation of the joint capsule.
- The appearance of inflammatory exudate in the capsule.
- Stiffness of the joint, appearance of contractures.
Externally, these changes are manifested by the following symptoms:
- Pain in the joint that radiates to the groin, hip and knee.
- The beginning (morning) pain symptom that disappears after warming up.
- A stiff, unsteady, limping gait.
- By shortening the leg on the affected side (the reason for this is a contracture).
- Weakening and atrophy of the thigh muscle.
- A crunch in the joint.
Stages of the disease
Three stages of the disease can be distinguished based on the signs and symptoms:
First
- Discomfort and pain that usually lessens with rest.
- Absence of external symptoms – lameness, stiffness, atrophy.
Such signs do not particularly worry patients, and few people pay attention to episodic pain, let alone start treatment.
But especially in the early stages, osteoarthritis of the hip joint is still a reversible disease.
Second degree
- The pain symptoms intensify and can persist even at rest.
- The functional properties of the hip joint decrease:
- Limitations of hip abduction and internal rotation occur
- 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 most excruciating night pains begin.
- The patient is forced to rely on a walking stick.
- There is severe restriction of movement and atrophy of the buttocks, thighs and calves muscles.
- There is noticeable leg shortening and lameness.
- Due to overgrown osteophytes, the joint space practically disappears, resulting in fusion and complete loss of function of the hip joint.
It happens that the first attack occurs at a relatively young age - in the early forties.A person most likely forgets about it and remembers it already at the age of 50-60, when the deformations in the joint become significant and affect the quality of life.
diagnosis
X-rays and functional diagnostics are carried out.The orthopedist not only deciphers the picture, but also rotates, bends the femur in all directions and examines the symptoms that arise when walking.
However, if coxarthrosis of the hip joint is suspected, leading specialists are increasingly referring to diagnostics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).The explanation for this lies in the absolute security and high information content of the procedure.It is the MRI scan that makes it possible to detect the smallest changes in the hip joint at an early stage, which contributes to the development of the most effective treatment tactics.
Treatment of coxarthrosis of the hip joint
Treatment is carried out on the principle “the sooner, the better”.
Early coxarthrosis can be treated with:
- Chondroprotectors.
- Light physical therapy – swimming, aerobics, walking and cycling.
- Regulation of the permissible physical loads on the joint.
- Weight correction (downwards).
- Physiotherapeutic treatment
- Extraction procedure.
- Massage sessions.
- Compresses the pain area.
Painful symptoms can be relieved with NSAIDs.
The annual sanatorium treatment is also very effective.
Pain-relieving intra-articular corticosteroid injections may be used to treat more severe pain in later stages.
Treatment of late-stage coxarthrosis is very difficult due to the complete destruction of the hip joint.Chondroprotectors in this case are absolutely useless.
All sorts of external remedies in the form of ointments and gels can relieve muscle spasms and pain, but, of course, have no effect on the condition of the diseased, immobilized joint.Therefore, you need to approach all types of advertising judiciously and make sure that smearing the sore spot with ointment will allow you to soon forget about the disease.
Hip replacement
The only way to completely restore the hip joint in the third stage of coxarthrosis is surgery - endoprosthetics (atroplasty) of the hip joint.
The endoprosthesis consists of two components: a head and a socket.
This operation is not easy:
- A long rehabilitation period is required after the operation.
- Healing of the joint is painful (the pain may last for a year).
- You will need to walk for some time using a walker or a cane for support.