With increasing age, the risk of developing spine and joint diseases increases. This is caused by 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 the age of 40 are especially sensitive to it. The disease can cause disability. Therefore, timely and competent treatment is necessary.
The ankle consists of the fibula, talus and tibia, two malleoli and articular ligaments. During arthrosis, joint cartilage is inflamed and destroyed. As the pathology progresses, the bone tissue is damaged and deformed.
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 making a diagnosis. Thanks to it, the doctor of any country will understand what is bothering the patient and where the pathological focus is localized.
The diagnosis of arthrosis is presented in a block of 5 headings and several sub-headings. Ankle arthrosis belongs to category M19. This section is divided into 5 subsections. A sign after a period indicates an 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 M19. 1 is ankle arthrosis caused by trauma.
Reasons
Pathology develops for various reasons. Disease-causing factors 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 mellitus.
- Ankle injury.
- Wearing uncomfortable shoes, walking on heels.
Pathology develops in children for the following reasons:
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- tissue dysplasia.
- trauma.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Fracture.
- Inflammation of the joints.
- dislocation.
symptoms
The following manifestations are characteristic of ankle arthrosis:
- pain. It appears after being in one position. When a person tries to stand up and lean on his leg, he experiences a piercing (painful) pain and stiffness of movement. After a few steps, the discomfort disappears. Pain appears during and after physical exertion.
- Clicking, cramping in ankle joint while walking.
- restriction of movements.
- Swelling under the feet.
- Hypotrophy, weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.
- Deformation of the joint (typical of the developing disease).
degrees
There are several degrees of arthrosis. Many years pass from the onset of the first signs of degenerative joint changes to the loss of mobility. If you start therapy in time, there is a chance to stop the progression of the disease. The success of the treatment depends on the stage of detection of the pathology.
Degree of arthrosis of the ankle joint:
- Პirveli. 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 crunching sound is heard when bending and straightening the leg. No pathological changes were detected on X-ray. The prognosis of drug treatment is favorable.
- second. The symptoms of the disease intensify. Morning stiffness does not go away for about an hour. Pain occurs at the beginning of walking. After walking a distance of only 1 km, one feels very tired in the legs. When the ankle moves, a crunching sound is heard. X-ray shows osteophytes, convergence of bone ends. Surgical treatment is indicated.
- the third. Pain syndrome occurs not only during movement, but also at rest. A person cannot work or rest normally without anesthesia. The patient cannot move independently. X-rays show cracks, flattening of the joint surface, osteophytes, and subluxation. Treatment is surgical and medicinal.
- fourth. Symptoms of the disease are mild. The pain goes away. But the stiffness of the movement does not allow a person to walk. At the fourth stage, the cartilage is completely destroyed. X-rays show healing of the joint space.
diagnosis
During the diagnosis, the doctor determines the degree of the disease and determines the exacerbation. Laboratory and technical techniques are used for this:
- Blood test (detailed).
- Rheumatoid tests.
- Ultrasound.
- CT.
- CRP test.
- Radiography.
- MRI.
treatment
Therapy should be comprehensive and include taking medication, using physiotherapy methods and performing therapeutic physical exercises.
The patient is prescribed the following medications:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Chondroprotectors.
- Painkillers.
- Corticosteroid hormones.
Joint mobility is restored by manual therapy and procedures using special equipment. Physiotherapy accelerates regeneration and stimulates blood circulation in the affected joint. Electrostimulation, laser therapy and ultrasound are effective. Endoprosthesis is performed in case of pronounced dystrophic changes.
Prevention
You can prevent ankle arthrosis by following the following rules:
- Keep your weight within normal limits.
- Strengthening the spine with special exercises.
- Avoid injury.
- Correction of congenital disorders of the joint structure.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Timely treatment of endocrine and vascular disorders.
- Regularly undergo preventive examinations if you have a genetic predisposition to the disease.