Gonarthrosis is osteoarthritis of the knee. Osteoarthritis lesions develop either in the joint between the femur and the kneecap (35% of cases) or between the femur and the tibia (65% of cases). The main risk factor for knee osteoarthritis is overweight (overweight or obesity).
The sports injuries accompanied by serious ligament injuries (football and rugby) also contribute by their effects, the occurrence of knee osteoarthritis. The last two risk factors are meniscus ablation and knee axis defects (X or parenthesis). Osteoarthritis between the femur and the patella (patellofemoral):
- manifests as pain in the knee when descending stairs and prolonged sitting;
- shows signs of pain in the joint on doctor’s examination;
- is confirmed by radiographs specifically exploring this joint.
Osteoarthritis Between The Femur And The Tibia (Femoro-Tibial): X-Ray Of An Osteoarthritis Knee
- manifests as “mechanical” pain in the knee;
- results in limited mobility of the knee;
- is confirmed by x-rays showing the characteristic images of osteoarthritis.
The treatment is more or less the same for the two joints (except for the surgery). The non-drug measures are in order of priority:
- reduction of overweight;
- maintaining physical endurance activity (walking, swimming);
- observation of joint economy advice;
- mobilization of the joint through adapted physiotherapy exercises;
- the use of technical aids (knee brace, orthopedic insoles, cane).
The drugs belong to three classes:
- analgesics (and paracetamol is preferred);
- anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed as a short course for acute painful attacks and, possibly, injected into the joint;
- slow-acting symptomatic anti-arthritis drugs for several months.
The surgery concerns femoro-tibial osteoarthritis. She is:
- preventive (and sufficiently early) when there is an offset of the knee;
- curative (prosthesis) when the treatment no longer controls pain or disability.
Digital osteoarthritis is manifested by deformities, pain, and discomfort when using the hand and fingers.
The deformities consist of nodular swelling (“nodules”) of the interphalangeal joints and progressive deformation of the base of the thumb in rhizarthrosis.
In rhizarthrosis, the pain is of the “mechanical” type. They are found by the doctor when the thumb is mobilized and when the joint is palpated. If the characteristic deformities are present, the diagnosis of digital osteoarthritis is made without the need for x-rays. The treatment of osteoarthritis of the hands and fingers includes non-drug measures (placing night splints immobilizing the thumb or the distal interphalangeal joints) and the prescription of drugs.
These are the classic drugs for osteoarthritis like the knee arthritis (กระดูก อ่อนข้อ เข่า อักเสบ which is the term in Thai): paracetamol and anti-inflammatory drugs. On these small joints, anti-inflammatory drugs can be administered locally (ointment or gel). The surgery is reserved for rhizarthrosis. It is indicated when the pain and discomfort persist despite a well-followed treatment.