Coxarthrosis

What is this disease with such an intricate name - coxarthrosis? This disease is a deforming arthrosis of the hip joint and is often also called osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Currently, coxarthrosis is the leader among diseases of the musculoskeletal system, which are degenerative-dystrophic in nature. There are a lot of reasons contributing to the occurrence of coxarthrosis, and in connection with this, this disease has become widespread in all age groups.

Coxarthrosis refers to arthrosis that is not of an inflammatory nature, in which at first there are changes of a degenerative-dystrophic nature in the cartilage of the hip joint, which lines the surfaces of the articulating bones, and in later stages bone changes already occur directly. In the course of such a gradually developing course of the disease with coxarthrosis, therefore, there is a violation of the naturally normal functions of the affected hip joint, which ultimately leads to a violation of the functions of the musculoskeletal system of the sick person as a whole.

For the most part, arthrosis of the hip joint affects people over the age of forty. Of course, coxarthrosis, like other diseases, can be successfully treated without surgery, but only in its early stages. But in its later stages, it will hardly be possible to do without surgical intervention, and only one thing can help to avoid disability - prosthetics of the joint affected by coxarthrosis. Unfortunately, people with coxarthrosis, not attaching importance to minor pains in the hip joint at the initial stage of the disease, avoid going to the doctor, and the osteoarthritis of the hip joint, meanwhile, continues to progress day after day, gradually turning into a more advanced form.

How does coxarthrosis develop?

Let's look at the mechanism of development of the disease coxarthrosis. And let's start with the fact that the hip joint consists of two bones:

1. the end of the femur itself, similar to a ball;
2. acetabulum, similar to a small billiard pocket, located in the iliac part of the pelvis;
3. special articular cartilage on the surface of both bones, resembling a sponge-like substance and necessary as a shock absorber, compressing during movement and straightening in its absence;
4. as well as the ligaments that form the cavity of the hip joint itself and thus form the joint capsule.

Surrounding the joint, in addition, there is muscle tissue, such as the femoral, gluteal and other muscles, on the functionality of which the condition of the hip joint also depends.

In the course of movement, when the articular cartilage is compressed, a specific liquid is "squeezed" out of it into the joint, which is a kind of lubricant for the bones that articulate in the joint. Also, the articular cartilage itself, in addition, performs the function of evenly distributing loads on the surface of the joint, being an excellent shock absorber during movements.

The very occurrence of the disease with coxarthrosis is primarily due to the fact that the nutrition of the cartilage of the hip joint is disturbed. The cartilage becomes thinner, and subsequently disappears in some places. If no measures are taken to stop this process, then in those places where the atrophy of the cartilage described above occurs, the bone itself will grow directly, thus trying to "fill" the resulting void in the joint cavity. As a result of such bone changes, therefore, osteophytes, that is, "spikes" on the bone, begin to appear. These deformities, in turn, lead to a violation of the congruence of the bones articulating in the hip joint and the subsequent "abrasion" of the remaining healthy areas of the articular cartilage.

Causes of osteoarthritis of the hip joint

The causes of coxarthrosis, by which it occurs, can be divided into primary, having an unclear etiology, and secondary, as a result of other diseases, for example, such as:

• hip dislocation, which is congenital;
• hip dysplasia;
• aseptic necrosis of the femoral head itself;
• previously suffered various injuries, such as a fracture of the femoral neck;
• Perthes disease;
• inflammatory processes in the hip joint;

Since the disease of coxarthrosis occurs not only in one, but simultaneously in both hip joints, it is quite possible to assert that bilateral coxarthrosis is not uncommon. Although with primary coxarthrosis, often usually, the knee joint or spine is also affected.

Symptoms of coxarthrosis

The very first symptoms of coxarthrosis directly depend on the degree of damage to the hip joint, as well as on the stage of development of this disease, and the main ones are:

• pain that manifests itself during movement, in the hip joint, and disappears at rest;
• emerging lameness;
• stiffness that appeared in the hip joint;
• downward progress in the range of motion of the hip;
• weakness of the femoral muscles and a noticeable decrease in their volume.

Separately, we consider the symptoms of coxarthrosis, depending on the degree of the disease with this disease:

• Symptoms of the 1st degree of coxarthrosis: in the hip joint there are pains that are of a moderate nature, and only after the joint has been subjected to intense load for a long time. After removing the load and rest, this syndrome is completely stopped. With the first degree of symptoms of coxarthrosis, the gait remains normal and the range of motion of the joint does not change.
• Symptoms of the 2nd degree of coxarthrosis: pain in the hip joint is already felt more intense than in the first degree, but in addition, they are projected into the inguinal region. In view of the developing muscle atrophy, the knee also begins to hurt, and quite often more than the ilio-femoral joint itself. Sometimes, with symptoms of coxarthrosis of the second degree, pain begins to appear even at rest, and after the transferred load on the affected joint, a rather long rest is already required for its relief. Lameness begins to appear when running or walking for a long time. At the same time, the strength of the thigh muscles is rather reduced, and the range of motion of the joint is also underestimated.
• Symptoms of the 3rd degree of coxarthrosis: persistent pain in the hip joint, which does not go away even after an extremely long rest or constant rest, even at night. The pain has already affected the entire leg. Against the background of pain, the patient develops insomnia and various sleep disorders. There is a strong atrophy of the muscles of the thigh, buttocks and lower leg, while the motor volume of the joint is almost minimal. When walking, a sick person is forced to resort to assistive devices, such as, for example, a cane, in order to move around.

If such arthrosis of the hip joint develops only in the hip joint of one leg, then its weakened femoral muscles give impetus to the development of a lateral displacement of the pelvis, as a result of which the length of the leg with the joint affected by coxarthrosis decreases.

Diagnosis of coxarthrosis

When diagnosing coxarthrosis, the symptoms of coxarthrosis described above are necessarily taken into account in combination with the obtained data from an x-ray examination of the patient. This technique provides an opportunity to determine not only the degree of coxarthrosis, but to identify the causes that served as a catalyst for the development of coxarthrosis. The radiograph provides an excellent opportunity to determine the changes that specifically caused injury in the hip joint, which is directly related to the mechanism of development of coxarthrosis.

In addition to the already listed diagnostic methods, methods of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can also be used, providing an opportunity for a thorough detailed study of developing pathology, such as, for example, the structure of bone tissue, the deformation of which is a companion of this disease. With regards to magnetic resonance imaging, this method still allows an assessment of the pathological disorders that the soft tissues surrounding the joint affected by coxarthrosis have undergone.

Treatment of coxarthrosis disease

The choice of treatment for coxarthrosis directly depends on the symptoms of coxarthrosis and its stage. Usually, in the first and second degrees of coxarthrosis, traditional conservative drug therapy is carried out, consisting of taking chondroprotectors, vasodilators and, if indicated, also muscle relaxants. During the period of time when coxarthrosis is especially acute, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also used. It should be borne in mind that such treatment must be carried out by a specialist doctor, since self-medication, unlike traditional medicine, can have an extremely negative effect on the patient's internal organs and completely suppress the ability to restore hyaline cartilage.

Also, in case of coxarthrosis, various physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy are prescribed. Especially effective, in combination with the traditional drug treatment of coxarthrosis, is the use of magnetotherapy in the treatment of arthrosis using a special device.

The impact on the body of a patient with coxarthrosis with a diet does not have a direct therapeutic effect, but it is recommended for obese people to reduce body weight, as it makes it possible to reduce the load on the affected joint, thereby alleviating the acute symptoms of coxarthrosis.

As for the third degree of the disease with coxarthrosis, the symptoms of which are the most painful, the treatment, as such, is performed only through surgical intervention, for example, hip arthroplasty. Statistical data indicate that after surgery, the absolute restoration of the functions of a limb with deforming arthrosis of the hip joint is achieved in 95% of cases, which makes it possible to subsequently lead a fairly active lifestyle.

The service life of such a prosthesis is about 15–20 years, but at the end of its service life, a second operation is necessary to replace the worn endoprosthesis.

Note,it is important! Don't diagnose yourself!If symptoms of coxarthrosis appear, you should consult an orthopedic doctor, since only a qualified specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe the most optimal treatment.

Prevention of coxarthrosis disease

Diseases of coxarthrosis can be avoided if the necessary prevention of coxarthrosis is carried out:

• mandatory and timely treatment of inflammatory joint diseases;
• timely treatment of joint dysplasia;
• obligatory correct and reasonable physical activity, especially exercises with weights, which must be carried out correctly;
• obligatory control of the weight of your body, maintaining it in the norm;
• prevention of joint injury.