Ankle Arthritis (ankle Arthritis) - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Ankle arthritis

Content:

• What is ankle arthritis?
• Arthritis symptoms
• Arthritis causes
• Arthritis treatment

What is ankle arthritis?

Ankle arthritis is an inflammation of the ankle joint that develops against the background of systemic lupus, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis. The course of the pathological process is often accompanied by an infection that enters the damaged joint through the blood and lymph.

According to statistics, in 80% of cases this disease affects people of old age (60 and older). But doctors note that arthritis, including ankle, has become rapidly "younger". Now it is often detected even in children.

The name of the ankle joint speaks for itself; it connects the foot and lower leg. Due to the complex structure and special shape of the joint, human feet are highly mobile. Moreover, if we compare the daily load on the knee, hip and ankle joint, then in the latter it is much higher, which means that it is more susceptible to injury or other damage.

Ankle arthritis symptoms

Ankle arthritis has two forms, acute and chronic:

• The acute form is characterized by a rapid onset of the disease with vivid symptoms, which is expressed in the rapid development of edema in the joint area with an increase in local temperature. In an acute purulent form, the skin over the affected joint becomes reddish. Body temperature is high.
• Chronic ankle arthritis manifests itself as a feeling of stiffness in the joint and pain. These signs are especially pronounced when a person wakes up after a night's sleep, at this moment redness and swelling are almost not observed.

The manifestation of the general symptoms of the disease depends on the form of the pathological process. It is important to understand that the lack of adequate treatment within two years threatens the complete destruction of the cartilage of the ankle joint. As a result, the joint area noticeably thickens, while its position becomes unnatural, a person experiences significant difficulties when walking, and passive movements of the ankle become extremely difficult or completely impossible. Atrophy of the leg muscles speaks of a strong neglect of the disease - one leg becomes much thinner than the other.

According to the symptoms of ankle arthritis, one can judge the underlying pathology that caused the development of this disease.

But since this is an inflammatory process, the following signs are inherent in it:

• pain in one joint or both at once;
• puffiness, which is characterized by slow smoothing of the fossa formed after pressing it with a finger;
• redness of the skin, accompanied by an increase in local temperature (the ankle area "burns");
• limited mobility of the affected joint and difficulty in movement;
• weakness, deterioration of health, body temperature is increased.

The main symptom of arthritis is difficulty walking, which cannot be ignored. It is for this reason that people go to the doctor for an initial appointment.

The initial stage of the disease can manifest itself in an acute form, or proceed gradually.

The disease does not manifest itself in any way at the earliest stages, but the following symptoms indicate the onset of the inflammatory process:

• familiar shoes become tight, which indicates the presence of edema;
• flexion and extension of the ankle is accompanied by painful sensations.

Let's pay attention to the younger generation. The symptomatology of "children's" ankle arthritis is identical to the "adult" one. It is difficult for children to explain the feeling of discomfort, they can describe their condition as simple: “my leg hurts” and refuse to move on their own. You cannot ignore these complaints, you need to examine the ankle and, if there is the slightest manifestation of edema, show the child to the doctor. Ankle injuries at an early age can lead to serious illnesses in adulthood.

Ankle Arthritis Causes

Ankle arthritis is divided into types. Let's consider each and understand the reasons for its development:

• Rheumatoid arthritis. It is considered a systemic disease localized to the ankle. A person's genetic predisposition plays an important role in the development of this disease. Its course is often accompanied by mild swelling and aching pain in the joint.
• Periarthritis. This variety is characterized by inflammation of the tissues surrounding the surface of the joint. Degenerative processes rarely affect the ankle, but this disease is characterized by pain and limitation of the motor activity of the joint.
• Traumatic arthritis. Its very name speaks of the cause of its occurrence - it is a sprain or rupture of articular ligaments, bruises and other closed injuries. As a result of damage, a certain amount of blood enters the joint cavity, which causes aseptic inflammation. With open trauma (gunshot wounds), septic (purulent) arthritis almost always develops.
• Gouty arthritis. The reason for the development of the disease is a violation of metabolism (metabolism) caused by bad habits (abuse of tobacco, coffee, alcohol). These excesses increase the level of uric acid in the human blood, which the body can no longer cope with. As a result, its salts (urates) are deposited in tissues and organs.
• Reactive arthritis. It affects the joints as a result of postponed nasopharyngeal, genitourinary, intestinal infections. It is accompanied by painful sensations in the ankle joint, slight swelling and stiffness of movements.
• Post-traumatic arthritis. The cause of the disease is mechanical damage to cartilage, capsule, tendons, joint ligaments. This problem is often addressed by hockey players and football players, fans of skis or skates, lovers of shoes with high and unstable heels.

Common causes of ankle arthritis are:

• an infectious attack of a joint by pathogenic bacteria. There is a specific form of the disease (infection with pale spirochete, chlamydia or gonococcus) and nonspecific - a secondary response to furunculosis or influenza;
• metabolic disorder (gout) caused by the presence of parasitic invasion, bad habits. Arthritis, in this case, is considered a secondary disease;
• failure in the immune system (ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus). The body perceives the tissues of the joint as foreign and begins direct aggression against them;
• mechanical damage and injury to the joint.

Ankle arthritis can be caused by intestinal or urogenital infections (urethritis, acute prostatitis, enterocolitis, vaginitis). They are capable of causing reactive arthritis several days or weeks after the onset of the underlying disease.

Ankle arthritis can be triggered by:

• overweight
• severe hypothermia,
• hormonal disruption
• metabolic disorders,
• wearing tight shoes or walking in unstable high heels
• flat feet,
• hereditary predisposition,
• professional activities (outdoor sports, ballet),
• bad habits
• low immunity, allergies.

On the subject: Arthrosis of the ankle

Ankle Arthritis Treatment

After the doctor has made a final diagnosis, indicating signs of ankle arthritis, the patient is assigned maximum rest first. If possible, bed rest. If complete rest cannot be observed, then immobilization with elastic bandages is necessary. Crutches or canes, orthopedic shoes or inserts should be used as aids.

Depending on the form of the disease, treatment can be conservative or surgical.

Conservative treatment is reduced to:

• antibacterial therapy, the appointment of which is justified only in the fight against the bacterial form of the disease. Antibacterial drugs with a wide spectrum of action (tetracycline, chloramphenicol) are used;
• a special diet in which the patient should abandon nightshades, as they provoke pain, and from the use of canned food and smoked meats, since they contain a large amount of salt;
• anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs such as diclofenac, aspirin, voltaren. They reduce puffiness, but their use should be supervised by a specialist as they have unwanted side effects. When the disease is in progress, hormone therapy is prescribed;
• pain relievers. These funds are necessary for the patient to relieve pain in the affected area. However, when the pain stops, the person feels relief and begins to increase the load on the ankle, which is fraught with even more problems with the joint. That is why doctors categorically insist on using crutches and other aids during the treatment period;
• vitamin therapy. To improve metabolic processes in the body as a whole and directly in the damaged joint, folic acid and vitamins B and C are prescribed;
• biological active supplements with collagen as the main component. It contains glucosamine, which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, and collagen hydrolyzate, a component that is part of the structure of the cartilage tissue of the joint.

If the disease is not treated in time, synovitis or deforming arthrosis may develop, and then drug therapy is no longer necessary.

As for the surgical treatment, it can be prescribed only in the case of severe and advanced forms of the disease that caused the deformation of the ankle joint. The aim of the intervention is to increase the ability of the joint to move. The main methods are reduced to fusion or prosthetics of the ankle joint.

In the treatment of ankle arthritis, physiotherapeutic methods are actively used, such as ultrasound, hydromassage. With their help, you can significantly reduce pain, and in addition, they help restore the function of the affected joint.

On the subject: Traditional methods of treating arthritis

Doctors recommend physical therapy as therapeutic and rehabilitation measures. These exercises strengthen the muscles surrounding the ankle joint, which relieves stress on the ankle.

If the usual walk is still difficult, then it can be replaced by visits to the pool. Movement in the water will ease the stress on the ankle.

A visit to the sanatorium will contribute to the fastest recovery after suffering ankle arthritis. With the help of mud therapy sessions, hydro massage, deep warming up and therapeutic baths, patients manage to get rid of the consequences of the disease or postpone the next exacerbation, if we are talking about the chronic form of ankle arthritis.

Author of the article: Kaplan Alexander Sergeevich | Orthopedist

Education: diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received in 2009 at the Medical Academy. I. M. Sechenov. In 2012 completed postgraduate studies in Traumatology and Orthopedics at the City Clinical Hospital named after Botkin at the Department of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Disaster Surgery.