The risk of developing spine and joint diseases increases with age. This is due to degenerative and destructive changes in the body. One of the common pathologies is arthrosis of the ankle joint.
Arthrosis of the ankle joint - what is it?
Ankle arthrosis is a chronic disease and cannot be completely cured. According to statistics, 10% of people have this dystrophic disorder. People over 40 are particularly susceptible to it. The disease can lead to disability. Therefore, it must be treated immediately and professionally.
The ankle consists of the fibula, tibia and fibula, two malleolus and ligaments. In the case of arthrosis, inflammation and destruction of the articular cartilage occurs. Bone tissue is damaged and deformed as the pathology progresses.
ICD 10 code
ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases. In such a document, each disease has a separate code. This code consists of letters and numbers and is included on the sick leave certificate when the diagnosis is made. Thanks to him, the doctor in any country understands what the patient is suffering from and where the pathological focus is located.
The diagnosis of arthrosis is presented in a block consisting of 5 headings and several subheadings. Ankle arthrosis belongs to category M19. This section is divided into 5 subsections. The sign after the dot indicates the etiology. So 0 – genetically determined degenerative changes, 1 – post-traumatic changes, 2 – dystrophic changes with an endocrine, vascular or inflammatory pathological background, 8 – these are other specific causes, 9 – disease of unknown origin. For example, the M19. 1 code Ankle arthrosis resulting from injury.
Cause
Pathology develops for various reasons. Factors provoking the development of the disease in adults:
- Increased load on the joint. Doctors often observe degenerative changes in cartilage and bone tissue in obese patients and professional athletes (football players, bodybuilders, runners and dancers).
- Diabetes.
- Ankle injury.
- Wearing uncomfortable shoes, walking in heels.
In children, the pathology develops due to the following reasons:
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- Tissue dysplasia.
- Injury.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Fracture.
- Arthritis.
- Dislocation.
Symptoms
The following manifestations are typical of ankle arthrosis:
- Pain. Appears after staying in one position. When a person tries to stand up and support himself on his leg, he experiences penetrating (painful) pain and stiffness of movement. After a few steps, the discomfort disappears. The pain occurs during and after physical activity.
- Clicking, crunching in the ankle joint while walking.
- Restriction of movements.
- Swelling under the ankle.
- Hypotrophy, weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.
- Deformation of the joint (characteristic of an advanced disease).
degrees
Arthrosis has several degrees. Many years pass from the appearance of the first signs of degenerative joint changes to the loss of mobility. If you start therapy in time, it is possible to stop the progression of the disease. The success of the treatment depends on the stage at which the pathology was detected.
Degrees of arthrosis of the ankle joint:
- First. The degenerative process has just begun to develop and does not cause much discomfort to a person. The only symptoms are temporary morning stiffness in the legs, fatigue and mild pain. A creaking sound can be heard when bending and straightening the leg. No pathological changes are detected on X-rays. The prognosis of drug treatment is favorable.
- Second. The symptoms of the disease intensify. Morning stiffness does not go away for about an hour. The pain occurs at the beginning of walking. After walking just 1 km, one feels very tired in the legs. When the ankle moves, a grinding sound is heard. X-rays show osteophytes, convergence of the ends of the bones. Surgical treatment is recommended.
- Third. The pain syndrome occurs not only during movement, but also at rest. A person cannot work or rest normally without an anesthetic. The patient cannot move independently. The X-ray shows cracks, flattening of joint surfaces, osteophytes and subluxation. Treatment is surgical and medicinal.
- Fourth. The manifestation of the disease is mild. The pain goes away. But the stiffness of movement does not allow a person to walk. The cartilage is completely destroyed in the fourth stage. The X-ray shows the healing of the joint space.
Diagnostics
During the diagnosis, the doctor determines the extent of the disease and identifies the exacerbation. For this, laboratory and hardware techniques are used:
- Blood test (detailed).
- Rheumatoid tests.
- Ultrasound.
- CT.
- CRP test.
- Radiography.
- MRI.
Treatment
Therapy should be comprehensive and include taking medications, using physical therapy methods, and performing therapeutic physical exercises.
The following medications are prescribed to the patient:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Chondroprotectors.
- Pain relievers.
- Corticosteroid hormones.
The mobility of the joints is restored by manual therapy and procedures with special equipment. Physiotherapy accelerates regeneration and stimulates blood circulation in the affected joint. Electrical stimulation, laser therapy and ultrasound are effective. Endoprosthesis is performed in case of pronounced dystrophic changes.
Prevention
You can prevent ankle arthrosis by observing the following rules:
- Keep your weight within normal limits.
- Strengthen the spine with special exercises.
- Avoid injury.
- Correction of congenital abnormalities of the joint structure.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Timely treatment of endocrine and vascular disorders.
- Have regular preventive tests if you are genetically predisposed to the disease.