Gonarthrosis (KNEE Calcification) is seen in middle and advanced ages. It is more common in women over the age of 50. The disease can also be seen at earlier ages. Patients are usually overweight. Previous joint operations, traumas, sports injuries, inflammatory rheumatism, some congenital disorders are the most important causes.
Calcification, or osteoarthritis, is a disease that causes deterioration of the structure of the articular cartilage. As a result of changes in the cartilage and the bone tissue under the cartilage, bone growths and protrusions develop at the joint edge.
How Does It Look?
Calcification is a slowly progressing disease. The patient causes limitation and pain in the joints.
Who gets calcification?
Calcification is a disease of advanced age. It is rare before the age of forty. About half of people around the age of 60 have signs of osteoarthritis. The disease is about 3 times more common in women.
Does weight have an effect on calcification?
Excess weight increases the load on the joint, increasing the likelihood of developing osteoarthritis, especially in the knee. Weight gain can lead to the emergence or increase of complaints in patients. Even a moderate weight loss leads to a reduction in the risk of osteoarthritis.
Is calcification familial?
It is known to occur much more frequently and at earlier ages in some families. This is due to familial predisposition. The contribution of heredity is very evident, especially in the type that causes swelling in the hand and finger joints.
Can calcification occur for other reasons as well?
Congenital defects in the joints (for example, dislocation of the hip, incompatibility between the hip joint and its socket) or subsequent structural defects such as accidents and blows, which impair the functioning of the joint and increase the risk of disease development.
In which joints is calcification most common?
It is most commonly seen in the knees, hips, knuckles, big toes and spine.
Knee osteoarthritis is especially common in women and its incidence increases with obesity.
Hip osteoarthritis is as common in men as in women.
Calcification of the fingers is seen especially in the extreme joints. Calcification in the root of the thumb causes joint swelling and limitation of movement. Calcification of the big toe can cause the toe to curve outward and/or cause a complete loss of movement.
Calcification can also be seen in the neck and waist, which are the most active areas of the spine. It causes pain and pain by disrupting the movement in the spine joints. In addition, findings may occur due to the narrowing of the nerve channels or spinal cord space by the bony prominences.
What kind of complaints does calcification cause in patients?
Patients most commonly complain of pain in their calcified joints and lack of movement. Pain usually occurs during movement or later in the day. Pain and stiffness in the joints is the first sign of the disease. Complaints are usually relieved by rest. The disease can sometimes progress without any symptoms. Sometimes, X-rays may be normal even though there are signs of illness. As the disease progresses, joint movements are limited, and walking and going up and down stairs become difficult. Sometimes there may be limping. As the disorders and wear of the articular cartilage progress, pain may occur during rest and joint movements may be restricted to a level that interferes with daily life activities. Crackling and sound may be heard in the joint during movement. After a long rest, in the morning or when starting from a sitting position, there may be a short period of stiffness in movements. This situation, which usually happens in the morning, lasts no more than 30 minutes. Weakness and weakness in the muscles adjacent to the calcified joint draw attention.
The arrangement of the joint is disturbed, there may be bending in the legs. There may be inflamed swellings in the bursae inside the joint, behind the knee and in front of the joint. Straightening or bending the knee can be difficult and painful in advanced and unrehabilitated knees.
How is osteoarthritis diagnosed?
An experienced doctor can diagnose calcification by examination. Swelling in the joints, changes in angle (for example, distorted images in the knees), limitation of movement facilitate the diagnosis. X-ray films are necessary for the diagnosis, staging and treatment planning of osteoarthritis.
How is calcification treated?
The main purpose of the treatment is to relieve pain, stiffness and swelling, to correct the limitation of movement and to ensure that the activities of daily living are carried out smoothly. Reducing body weight to ideal weight can reduce pain by reducing the load on the joint. It is very important to distribute daily chores and recommended exercises in a balanced way throughout the day. The environment in which the patient lives and works should be arranged according to the patient’s conditions (for example, the chair height should be increased to make it easier to sit and stand).
The majority of the patients who applied to us for pain treatment consisted of patients with pain complaints due to knee osteoarthritis. After the blood tests required for examination and injection, we start knee prolotherapy.
Most of our patients feel a decrease in their pain after the 2nd session and regain their old walking comfort after the following sessions. In our treatments, our patients should not overload the injected knee during the first 3 days. From the 3rd month of the treatment, they should fully perform the exercises given for the knee. With the excellent doctor-patient communication, the treatment gives very good results. Our patients, who have difficulties in doing their daily activities, can return to their old days without surgery with prolotherapy. There are many studies showing that MSM, chondroidin sulfate, collagen hydrosylate and glucosamine, the most known and used cartilage-protecting agents, which we apply as a support to our treatments, have a protective and restorative effect on cartilage, especially in the knee, hip, hand and ankle joints, which occur in the course of aging. It is thought that especially the mixture of glucosamine-chondroidin-sulphate-MSM is beneficial in reducing pain and supporting joint movement. We also give these supportive drugs to our patients.
