Symptoms of gonarthrosis
The manifestations of gonarthrosis may vary depending on the cause and stage of the disease, but the following signs are almost always present:
Knee pain. At the beginning of the disease, knee pain occurs during physical exertion, after sleep or prolonged stay in one position - for example, driving a car. An episode of short-term but intense pain after a period of rest is called starting pain - a symptom characteristic of the early stage of the disease. Later, as arthrosis progresses, the pain appears more often, becomes more intense, and affects the muscles surrounding the joint.
Joint stiffness. Gonarthrosis is characterized by the so-called morning stiffness of the joint, or stiffness, when after sleep it is necessary to stretch, "spread out" before the knee begins to function normally. As a rule, morning stiffness lasts no more than half an hour. Limited range of motion in the joint. As the destruction of cartilage tissue progresses, the functional capabilities of the joint decrease - the range of possible movements is gradually limited.
Change in joint contours. Rarely occurs in the early stages, often serves as a sign of changes that have progressed far. Due to bone growths, accompanying inflammation, and edema, the knee joint often increases in size, changing its configuration.
Gonarthrosis
1 degree
is characterized by increased fatigue of the limb. The bone at this stage does not undergo significant changes, but a barely noticeable limitation of movement is still present. This stage is also characterized by some narrowing of the joint space, which can only be seen on an X-ray.
Gonarthrosis grade 2
accompanied by pain after loading the joint. While walking, the patient hears a crunch in the knee. He cannot bend or unbend the joint completely. Pain can be observed before the start of movement (starting). The image shows flattening of the edges of the bones.
Gonarthrosis grade 3
It manifests itself as severe pain, which is felt even when the person is at rest. The affected area may swell and become hot. The joint becomes unstable and may suddenly become stuck.
Alarming symptoms. If they appear, you should definitely consult a doctor for a differential diagnosis.
- Morning stiffness for more than 30 minutes (possible rheumatic disease, collagenoses)
- Knee pain occurred after an infectious disease (possible infectious arthritis)
- Joint pain occurred after stress: hypothermia, surgery, etc. (possible rheumatic disease, collagenosis)
- Knee pain in patients with diabetes (consultation of an endocrinologist is required)