According to a statistical study, seven out of a hundred patients have arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Moreover, if up to the age of forty-two this diagnosis is observed in 3 percent, then the population over fifty suffers from this disease to seventy percent.
With this disease, thinning and destruction of muscle tissue occurs, a deformation in the structure of the bony heads is observed.
And the sooner the signs of the disease are established, the more successful the treatment will be.
Read the same about the treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint in the view of modern medicine. Do not know what to do with an acute pain in the shoulder joint? Here we have an article on this topic.
Types of arthrosis of the ankle:
- primary , when the destruction of cartilage occurs on a healthy joint, for example, during heavy loads on the joints;
- secondary , when the procedure for destruction of cartilage proceeds already in the altered. For example, after injuries, vascular disorders or intra-articular fracture.
Cartilage degeneration is caused by two reasons: mechanical overload, as well as a reduction in the stability of the articular cartilage to all kinds of overloads. The risk factor for arthrosis in women is regular walking in shoes with high heels. The risk of developing arthrosis and people suffering significant loads on the ankle are also exposed. This may be due to professional activities or sports activities.
Often arthrosis of the ankle can be found among athletes( runners, football players, ballerinas, swimmers).
Under the influence of such causes, cartilage grows old, thin, and lose plasticity. Gradually, they appear cracks, where calcium salts are deposited, which further injures and kills the cartilage. Consequently, the bone tissue grows, osteophytes appear, which leads to deformation of the joints.
In this situation, one should already talk about deforming arthrosis of the ankle .
If the disease is detected at the initial stage, deformities can be avoided.
The main symptoms of the disease:
- initial pain that occurs at the very beginning of the movement after a resting position;
- pain, increasing during exercise;
- pains appearing in the morning;
- crunch, creak and clicks in the joints;
- post-traumatic arthrosis during walking causes pain and fatigue;
- often causes subluxations due to weakening of tendons and muscles;
- if arthrosis progresses against the backdrop of inflammation, joints can become swollen, as well as hot to the touch;
- movement in the joints is limited, constrained;
- atrophy of nearby muscles;
- is curved the axis of the tibia( can take both O-shaped and X-shaped).
Action plan for the detection of arthrosis of the ankle
Arthroscopy of the ankle
With the diagnosis, treatment directly depends on the stage at which the disease occurs. Early treatment with a specialist suggests conservative treatment of , during which, as a rule, the desired results are achieved. Assumes it physiotherapeutic and drug exposure.
Initially, using the manual procedure, the joint is returned and the natural position is fixed. It is necessary to unload the joints as much as possible, to weaken the duration of walking. If the weight is excessive, a huge role is played by weight loss. To do this, observe a simple diet based on the principles of healthy eating - limit fat and carbohydrate foods, especially in the evening, and use full-value animal proteins - chicken without skin, egg whites, cottage cheese.
Initially, the treatment is aimed at the removal of pain and inflammation( using analgesics, anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs, and also using drugs that increase the nourishment of tissues and strengthen the bone tissue.) The use of glycosaminoglycans( substances that are an integral part of the cartilage, lost with the development of arthrosis) is effective. Sometimes the joint is injected with corticosteroid hormones, biostimulators are used to increase blood circulation
Physiotherapeutic procedures anesthetize and dilate the blood vessels. They are aimed at improving metabolism in the body, raising the immunity. The important role in the treatment of arthrosis of the ankle belongs to the following methods:
- massage;
- magnetotherapy;
- acupuncture;
- UHF;
- exercise therapy.
Excellent results show balneotherapy : in the absence of contraindications, radon and hydrogen sulphide baths, therapeutic muds are used.
Ankle Bandage
Surgical treatment
In case the disease passes in the 3rd stage, and the joint is destroyed, then surgical intervention is necessary. They can become arthrodesis - an operation during which the removal of cartilage remains and an artificial "closure" of the joint is made, that is, immobilization. Or perform arthroplasty, in which you can save the joint.
There is also endoprosthetics - this is an absolute replacement of the joint with a prosthesis.
Preventive measures of arthrosis of the ankle are quite simple:
- avoid injuries;
- rationally and correctly eat;
- timely treat all inflammatory conditions.
You should not bring to extreme measures, do not waste time, take care of your own joints. Be healthy!
