As a person ages, the risk of developing diseases of the spine and joints increases. This is due to degenerative and destructive changes in the body. One of the common pathologies is osteoarthritis of the ankle joint.
Osteoarthritis 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 dealt with quickly and competently.
The ankle consists of the fibula, talus and tibia, two malleolus and ligaments. With osteoarthritis, inflammation and destruction of joint cartilage occurs. Bone tissue becomes damaged and deformed as the pathology progresses.
ICD 10 code
ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases. In such a document, each disease is assigned a specific code. This code consists of letters and numbers and is indicated on the sick leave certificate when a diagnosis is made. Thanks to him, a doctor in any country will understand what the patient is suffering from and where the pathological focus is located.
The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is presented in a block with 5 headings and several sub-headings. Osteoarthritis of the ankle is included in category M19. This section is divided into 5 subsections. The sign after the dot indicates etiology. So 0 - these are genetically determined degenerative changes, 1 - post-traumatic changes, 2 - dystrophic changes against the background of endocrine, vascular or inflammatory pathology, 8 - these are other specified causes, 9 - a disease of unknown cause. For example, code is M19. 1 osteoarthritis of the ankle as a result of injury.
Reasons
Pathology develops for various reasons. Provocative factors for the onset of the disease in adults are:
- 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, pathology develops for the following reasons:
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- Tissue dysplasia.
- Damage.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Broken bones.
- Inflammation of the joints.
- Dislocation.
Symptoms
The following manifestations are typical of ankle osteoarthritis:
- Pain. It appears after staying in a position. When a person tries to stand up and lean on his leg, he experiences piercing (pain) pain and stiffness in the movement. After a few steps the discomfort disappears. Pain occurs during and after physical activity.
- Clicks, crunches in the ankle joint when walking.
- Restriction of movements.
- Swelling below the ankles.
- Hypotrophy, weakness of the ligament apparatus.
- Deformation of the joint (typical of an advanced disease).
degrees
There are several degrees of osteoarthritis. Many years pass from the first signs of degenerative changes in the joint to loss of mobility. If you start treatment on time, there is a chance to stop the progression of the disease. The success of the treatment depends on the stage at which the pathology was discovered.
Degrees of osteoarthritis of the ankle joint:
- First. The degenerative process is just beginning 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. When bending and straightening the foot, a crunching sound occurs. No pathological changes are detected on X-ray. The prognosis for drug treatment is favorable.
- Other. Symptoms of the disease intensify. Morning stiffness doesn't go away for about an hour. Pain appears at the beginning of the walk. After covering only 1 km distance, a person feels very tired in his legs. When the ankle moves, a crunching sound occurs. X-rays show osteophytes, the convergence of the ends of the bones. Surgical treatment is indicated.
- Third. Pain syndrome occurs not only during movement, but also at rest. A person cannot work or rest normally without anesthesia. The patient is unable to move independently. The X-ray shows cracks, flattening of joint surfaces, osteophytes and subluxation. Treatment is surgical and medical.
- Fourth. The manifestations of the disease are mild. The pain goes away. But movement stiffness does not allow a person to walk. The cartilage of the fourth stage is completely destroyed. The X-ray shows healing of the joint space.
Diagnostics
During the diagnosis, the doctor determines the degree of the disease and identifies exacerbation. For this, laboratory and hardware techniques are used:
- Blood test (detailed).
- Rheumatoid test.
- Ultrasound.
- CT.
- CRP test.
- Radiography.
- MR.
Treatment
Therapy should be comprehensive and include taking medication, using physiotherapy methods and performing therapeutic physical exercises.
The following medication is prescribed for the patient:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs.
- Chondroprotectors.
- Painkiller.
- Corticosteroid hormones.
Joint mobility is restored by manual therapy and procedures using a special device. Physiotherapy accelerates regeneration and stimulates blood circulation in the affected joint. Electrical stimulation, laser therapy and ultrasound are effective. In case of pronounced dystrophic changes, endoprosthetics are performed.
Prevention
You can prevent ankle osteoarthritis by following the following rules:
- Keep weight within normal limits.
- Strengthen the spine with special exercises.
- Avoid injury.
- Corrects congenital abnormalities of joint structure.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Treat endocrine and vascular disorders in a timely manner.
- Have regular preventive examinations if you have a genetic predisposition to the disease.