The cavity of the knee joint is lined with a synovial membrane. The main function of this membrane is the synthesis of a special fluid that acts as a lubricant for joint movement. Synovitis is an inflammation of the synovial membrane. In this case, the amount of synovial fluid increases, the joint itself increases in volume and swells. Only after seeing such a joint, the doctor will undoubtedly make a diagnosis: synovitis of the knee joint.
Causes of the disease
Synovitis can develop with any damage to the synovial membrane. This can be an injury or chronic inflammation as a result of arthrosis. In the first case, microorganisms necessarily enter the joint cavity, and then the synovitis is called infectious. If an infectious (traumatic) synovitis of the knee joint is diagnosed , treatment will necessarily include the introduction of antibiotics.
With arthrosis, sharp growths form on the cartilage in the knee, which injure the joint from the inside, after which inflammation also begins, but it is aseptic, that is, without the participation of microorganisms. If a person has developed aseptic synovitis of the knee joint, then antibiotic treatment will be completely meaningless.
Diagnostics
Synovitis is not an independent disease, but a symptom that indicates a failure in the joint. If a person comes to the surgeon with accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity, it will not be difficult to diagnose him with synovitis of the knee joint. Treatment will depend on the cause of the disease.
Diagnosis includes examination, palpation, joint radiography , synovial fluid puncture , biopsy, and cytology. Puncture is not only a diagnostic, but also a medical procedure. After it, antibiotics are injected into the joint cavity to prevent infection. Usually, by the appearance of synovia, the surgeon can immediately determine the presence of infection in the joint. In case of injury, the synovial fluid will be mixed with blood, but transparent. In the infectious process, it is cloudy and viscous.
Synovitis of the knee joint: treatment
Treatment of synovitis cannot be carried out in isolation. Of course, if you pump out fluid from the joint cavity, introduce drugs that prevent its formation, a person will experience immediate relief. Thus, a symptom such as synovitis of the knee joint is quickly stopped, but treatment has not actually been done. And be sure - over time, the symptom will return in a more severe form.
Therefore, in such a serious condition as synovitis of the knee joint, it is necessary to identify its cause and conduct complex treatment. If this is an injury, the limb should be immobilized, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. UHF, electrophoresis are actively used.
If excess synovial fluid was synthesized as a result of a reaction to arthrosis, it is this disease that must be treated first. The introduction of non-steroidal drugs into the joint cavity in this case is even contraindicated. They temporarily anesthetize the knee, but after the end of their action the clinical picture worsens.
Even different specialists can treat injuries and arthrosis: a traumatologist and a surgeon. Therefore, if the announcement reads: "Synovitis of the knee joint: treatment", it is better to read reviews about this doctor in advance. Quick results are often achieved by unscrupulous doctors (for the sake of advertising), and then patients who trust them with their health suffer.