Curious About Knee Calcification

From the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Yeni Yüzyıl University Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, Dr. Instructor Member Hasan Mola Ali answered the questions about 'Knee calcification'. What are the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis? Who gets knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis)? How is knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) diagnosed? What are the treatment methods of knee osteoarthritis?

Calcification (osteoarthritis) is the most common chronic disease of the joints. Although calcification can be observed at any age, it is more common in people over 60 years of age. Common risk factors; includes obesity, increasing age, joint injuries, overuse of joints, and genetic predisposition. Calcification of the knee joint is called “gonarthrosis”. In gonarthrosis, first of all, wear and tear on the articular cartilage begins, and over time, other tissues of the joint begin to be affected by this situation.

From the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation of Yeni Yüzyıl University Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital, Dr. Instructor Member Hasan Mola Ali answered the questions about 'Knee calcification'.

What are the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis?

The most important symptom of knee osteoarthritis is pain. In the evening or after activity, there is an increase in pain, an increase in pain with climbing stairs and squatting on the floor. In addition, stiffness in the joint, slight swelling around the joint, clicking or crackling sound from the joint when the joint is bent are important symptoms.

Who gets knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis)?

Knee arthritis can be seen in people of all ages, but it is more common in people over 60 years old. Being overweight, past traumas, joint operations, sports injuries and inflammatory rheumatism are the most important causes.

How is knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) diagnosed?

The patient may begin to experience most of the mentioned complaints and have difficulties in his daily life. Knee calcification (gonarthrosis) diagnosis of our patient who comes to the hospital is made by examination and a simple x-ray taken in an outpatient setting. What are the treatment options in knee osteoarthritis? There is no single treatment modality that will reduce pain, increase mobility and prevent structural damage in knee osteoarthritis. Optimal treatment of knee osteoarthritis is achieved by a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Patient education: Teaching how to protect the knees and giving information about the causes and natural course of the disease can be quite comforting.

Losing weight: Losing weight with diet reduces the burden on the knees and therefore significantly affects the course of the disease. Exercise and physical therapy: Exercise and physical therapy applications have an important place in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Physical therapy and rehabilitation services offer an effective treatment opportunity with very few side effects. Aerobic exercises such as swimming and pool exercises that do not put a load on the knee joint and therefore do not create trauma are helpful in increasing the condition and losing weight. Atrophy of the quadriceps muscle accelerates joint degeneration, so it is important to strengthen the quadriceps muscle. Orthoses and auxiliary devices: Shoe and insoles arrangements, use of shock absorbing shoes and knee pads provide support in controlling pain. A walking stick can be given to the opposite hand to reduce the load on the joint.

In the early stage of gonarthrosis, products such as glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are beneficial both in reducing pain and in reducing structural changes. In advanced stage gonarthrosis, in patients who are afraid of surgery and want time, steroids applied to the knee are effective in reducing pain. Due to its structure, it provides lubrication in the joint, facilitating movements and absorbing shock.

PRP (Platelet rich plasma) is a liquid obtained from the person's own blood and called platelet rich plasma. 20 ml of blood is taken from the patient, centrifuged with special devices and PRP is obtained. This fluid contains concentrated amounts of growth and healing factors. The resulting PRP is injected into the knee. These factors activate the body's natural healing and repair mechanisms, damaged tissues are repaired more quickly. Successful results are also obtained with stem cell therapy, which has gained popularity recently. Stem cells prepared from bone marrow or adipose tissue are injected into the knee. Then, the stem cells start to work in this area and begin to renew the tissues. Surgical treatments are considered if the patients have pain and difficulty in performing daily life activities despite all these treatments.