A joint mouse is a pathology that represents a bone or cartilage body. This is a kind of fragment that floats freely in the knee or ulnar cavity and causes pain. Often the mouse gets stuck between other joints, which causes even greater discomfort. Due to the nature of its education and behavior, pathology got its name in honor of a nimble and mobile rodent.
The mouse can be of different sizes: from a tiny rice grain to huge shapeless debris. Most often, the disease affects the knee joint. But sometimes there are cases of diseases of the elbow, hip and shoulder parts of the body. Whatever the localization of the pathology, in any case, it requires competent and timely treatment.
Formation mechanism
Most often, the articular mouse is formed as a result of an injury - a severe bruise. During the impact, a piece of cartilage or bone tissue breaks off, which freely fidgets in the joint cavity and causes pain. In addition to this reason, pathology can be a consequence of the following ailments: osteochondritis, deforming arthrosis, arthritis, Koenig disease and hemarthrosis.
As a result of these diseases, particles are rejected in the joint cavity. They form the so-called capsule, which is in constant motion. This formation is a small clot of high molecular weight non-globular protein - fibrin. Subsequently, it overgrows with connective tissue, forming a fragment similar to a piece of bone.
Symptoms
The joint mouse has symptoms that will help distinguish pathology from other diseases. The main symptoms of the disease are:
- Severe pain in the knee, accompanied by its partial immobilization. This happens when a splinter blocked the entire joint. Pain is inconsistent. They appear when a person changes the position of the body.
- Swelling and inflammation of the knee (elbow). This results in constant blocking of the joint. The most unpleasant consequences are damage to the cartilage tissue and complete immobilization of the limb.
- Joint discomfort. Many people attribute the discomfort to a bruise or injury, although they may be the first signal that a spall formation process has begun.
The joint mouse of the knee joint may not appear. Typical symptoms of pathology are absent if the fragment is hidden in the area of the inversion of the synovial membrane.
Diagnostics
If a person complains of sudden pain in his knee or elbow, he needs first aid. For this, the area of possible damage is tightly tightened with an elastic bandage. A special knee pad can also be worn on the patient. After you can call an ambulance, which will deliver the patient to the clinic. Here, experienced doctors will be able to establish the correct diagnosis: a bruise, trauma, sprain or articular mouse of the knee joint.
X-rays will confirm the fears of doctors. Using medical equipment, a specialist will be able to consider what dimensions the mouse has, where it is located, and so on. In addition, computed tomography will be performed on the patient. With its help, the doctor learns about the condition of cartilage, menisci, bone tissue. Also, the patient must pass blood tests: general and biochemical. Sometimes he is recommended to undergo various immunological studies.
Operation
Removal of the articular mouse is likely to be shown to the patient. Unfortunately, this pathology is not amenable to conservative treatment. The following factors influence the volume of surgical intervention in the first place: the degree of neglect of the disease, its form, size of education, and so on. The duration of the operation is determined individually. But if the articular mouse leads to partial or complete immobilization of the limb, then the intervention will be appointed as soon as possible.
The operation during which the formation is removed is called arthrotomy. First, the doctor opens the joint cavity, then removes the mouse and conducts plastic bone and cartilage tissue. This will help to avoid joint deformation in the future. After that, the leg is immobilized - it is fixed, thereby ensuring the immobility of the limb.
Treatment after surgery
After the articular mouse has been removed, the patient needs restorative therapy:
- To improve blood circulation in a damaged place, "Andekalin", "Angiotrophin", "Kallikrein Depot" are prescribed.
- If there is an inflammatory process, Gordox or Contrical are prescribed.
- It is recommended to drink medicines that nourish the tissues in the joint area: Solcoseryl, Actovegin, B vitamins.
- The patient also needs medications to help restore the rest of the articular cartilage. This, for example, "Glycosamine" or "Chondroitin sulfate."
- Be sure to prescribe a new, but already managed to positively recommend the drug "Piaskledin." It is expensive, but it very effectively protects the cartilage from further destruction.
- It is necessary to undergo a course of hyaluronic acid injections. It plays the role of natural joint lubrication, therefore, significantly reduces painful friction.
You can’t do without warming medicines that increase blood flow to the operated place - compresses with Dimexidum or Bischofite .
Minimally invasive surgery
Minimally invasive methods also remove the articular mouse. Surgical treatment can be performed using arthroscopy. This method is less traumatic compared to conventional surgery. A doctor using a special device - an arthroscope - makes two holes in the knee. Introduces optical technology into one, examining with its help the internal state of the pathology. In this case, the picture is broadcast on the screen. In the second hole, the doctor inserts a tool for manipulation. Thus, the damage to the patient is minimal. After a week, you can begin rehabilitation.
Physiotherapeutic treatments
After surgery, the patient must undergo a number of procedures so that the articular mouse of the knee joint no longer manifests itself. Treatment with physiotherapeutic methods involves the following manipulations:
- Joint massage.
- Ultrasound treatment
- Mud Therapy.
- Adoption of the van: radon and turpentine.
- The impact of dynamic current.
- Electrophoresis of sulfur, lithium and zinc to restore metabolic processes in the joint.
- Galvanization with enzymes that remove “bad” tissue.
- Phonophoresis with analgesics to relieve inflammation.
Similar procedures can be done in the clinic or hospital, where there is the appropriate equipment and highly qualified personnel.
What do traditional doctors offer?
Once again, we recall: only through surgery the articular mouse of the knee joint is eliminated . Treatment with folk remedies can be offered only as an auxiliary element or for postoperative recovery, but not as an alternative therapy. In this case, you can make compresses according to such recipes:
- A tablespoon of honey mixed with 3 tbsp. l apple cider vinegar. Lubricate the affected joint with a mixture, after which we apply a sheet of fresh cabbage to it. Wrap the leg with polyethylene and a warm scarf. Hold until the leaf dries. The course is 1 month.
- Take one tablespoon of red and blue clay. We mix the powder with water so that a mass forms, the consistency of which is similar to sour cream. On a clean cotton cloth, spread the clay in two layers, apply it to the joint. We warm this zone and maintain for two hours.
Helps relieve pain and a special bath. To prepare it, you need to take one and a half kilograms of Jerusalem artichoke leaves. Finely chop them and pour 8 liters of boiling water. When the water cools down and becomes acceptable for the procedure, lower the leg into it so that the affected area is completely immersed in the decoction. We stand for half an hour. Such a bath is recommended to be done once a day for 10 days. Thanks to these popular methods, recovery after surgery will be faster, and rehabilitation itself will be painless and effective.