Coxarthrosis of the 3rd degree is the last stage of deforming osteoarthrosis of the hip joint. Delay in the treatment of the disease can lead to tissue necrosis. Most doctors consider it appropriate at this stage to prescribe therapy to patients only in the form of surgical intervention, but some doctors are in no hurry to operate, but are trying to use therapeutic treatment. In any case, the treatment of coxarthrosis of the 3rd degree is a rather difficult and time-consuming process.
The main signs of the disease
Symptoms of this disease are very pronounced. Grade 3 coxarthrosis is characterized by the following symptoms:
- pain at night;
- disturbances in normal sleep;
- irritable or depressed state;
- stiffness, inelasticity of joints (especially after prolonged immobilization);
- limited movement;
- claudication (distinguishes one-sided coxarthrosis of the hip 3 degrees).
Disability opportunity
With a disease such as coxarthrosis of the hip joint grade 3, treatment should be urgent. It is worth remembering that at this stage the therapy is very serious. Neglect of the disease leads to disability. A person will have to decisively refuse some types of work: it is possible that only for the recovery period, and maybe forever. Firstly, labor related to hard physical efforts should be limited, and secondly, sedentary work can also be a great test.
For a patient with grade 3 coxarthrosis, doctors most often establish a second disability group. This group includes patients who independently move and serve themselves in everyday life, but at the same time can only perform certain types of work. This disability group is established for a certain period, after which it is necessary to undergo a repeated examination.
Therapeutic treatment of coxarthrosis
Traditional treatment is aimed at reducing inflammation and the regeneration of the damaged surface of the joint. As a rule, in this case, the doctor prescribes a complex of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Nimesulide, Ibuprofen and Voltaren.
In case of pronounced symptoms, injections of corticosteroids are used. This is necessary in order to stop inflammation. To improve metabolic processes, strengthen and restore use drugs that have a vasodilating property. Recently, the so-called chondroprotectors, which promote the restoration of cartilage, also allow the suspension of a progressive disease.
A separate niche in conservative treatment is physiotherapy. An experienced specialist will select such exercises that will not cause pain and at the same time help to develop and tone the thigh muscles.
Surgical intervention
Often all therapeutic measures are effective only in the initial stages and provide only temporary relief. With a disease such as coxarthrosis of the 3rd degree, surgery can be of two types:
- without prosthetics;
- with partial joint replacement.
Basically, all operations give a positive result, among the side effects you can list only the risks associated with inflammation. With a disease such as grade 3 coxarthrosis, surgery is the most effective treatment.
Preparation for surgery
Some time before surgery, the patient must undergo a medical examination. It consists of x-rays, electrocardiograms, laboratory tests of blood and urine.
It is worthwhile to make sure that the first time after the operation, someone helps the patient in everyday life.
The speed of healing and recovery also depends on the physiological state of the muscles. That is why doctors recommend not too intense, but still sports. It is best to swim, walk and stretch.
The choice of prosthesis for surgery
The operation is performed under the influence of general anesthesia. The surgeon will remove the joint and install a prosthesis in its place that has a spherical shape with many small holes through which bone tissue will grow in the future. This allows you to make the position of the joint more reliable. The prosthesis holders are fasteners and acrylic cement. The core is made of titanium, the ball itself is made of molybdenum, chromium or cobalt, other details are metal, plastic, and ceramics.
When choosing a prosthesis, doctors usually pay attention to the patient’s lifestyle, age, stage of the disease. Most often they offer an option that will last at least ten years. In total there are about fifty types of prostheses, but, as a rule, you have to choose between four to five.
Side effects of surgery
Although this type of surgery is carried out quite successfully in most cases, complications can still be. The risks associated with the transaction include:
- Wear of the prosthesis. Artificial joint has its own life. Bone tissue, which after surgery will grow and strengthen the prosthesis, begins to deteriorate over time, which leads to weakening of the prosthesis attachments. The latter entails pain in the hip and inguinal region.
- The deterioration of elasticity. The process is due to the fact that the soft tissue around the artificial joint has the ability to condense. Rigidity can be seen in the deterioration of the quality of motor activity.
- The accumulation of blood clots. Signs of this complication are edema at the implantation site and an increase in body temperature. A person develops shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, which can lead to pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. So, with the appearance of any such effects, do not delay and it is better to immediately go to the hospital.
- Heat, chills, discharge in the area where the operation was performed, pain. All these symptoms only indicate that you should immediately consult a doctor.
Recovery period
In the first hours after surgery, the patient is fixed on the hip joints in a fixed (anatomically correct) position. For this person lay on his back, and between the legs have a special pillow.
In order for the joint to start functioning faster, a person must learn to get up and move independently as early as possible. At first, staff helps to cope with this, then crutches and sticks. Discomfort should not be a barrier to recovery.
In the postoperative period, the legs can swell strongly. In order to normalize the blood circulation and eliminate swelling, doctors prescribe a series of injections with anticoagulants. To prevent the development of inflammation, the patient should take antibiotics.
In almost any case, it is better to consult with a physiotherapist. The specialist will tell you the exercises that contribute to the fastest recovery and strengthen the body, give some recommendations. So, for example, patients who underwent surgery should not sit with their legs crossed, do flexion movements of more than ninety degrees, and rotation of the body should be avoided. Experts advise walking in small steps, to prevent stress and pressure on the implantation site. The height of the chairs should be comfortable, not too low. Do not engage in activities that provoke pain or discomfort in the hip area.
Terms of recovery after surgery
Most often, patients after surgery spend in the hospital for about a week, and then recover at home. Further treatment consists of taking drugs and doing exercises. At first, people feel fatigue associated with constant stress on the muscles and joints, but it quickly passes.
Pain, as a rule, is directly related to implantation itself. Most patients successfully cope with discomfort, otherwise analgesics are prescribed by the doctor. In this case, in no case should you endure severe pain. If there is one, then you must go to the hospital without delay (especially if discomfort is accompanied by redness or the formation of fluid at the site of surgery).
A medical examination should never be missed, as the doctor must make sure that no complications have arisen. And you should reassure yourself that everything is in order.
Without any outside help, people who have had coxarthrosis of grade 3 begin to move on average in a month. But patients manage to return to their previous lifestyle only after two to four months. All controversial and incomprehensible points regarding independent recovery should first be found out by the doctor so as not to harm yourself later.
Alternative treatments for coxarthrosis
Some specialists today offer treatment for grade 3 coxarthrosis without surgery: stem cells are used to combat this disease, the introduction of which contributes to the formation of new blood vessels, strengthens the cartilage tissue and the joint itself. In addition, the outflow of blood and all metabolic processes improves. As a result of exposure to the affected area with stem cells, pain decreases, elasticity increases. The possibility of edematous and inflammatory processes is excluded.
The results of the treatment of the disease
Coxarthrosis of the 3rd degree is a very serious disease that complicates and restricts free movement, does not allow you to lead a familiar lifestyle. But even at the final stage, the pathology is treatable, albeit at the cost of surgical intervention. Modern prostheses, which are installed during the operation, although they need periodic replacement, but significantly improve the quality of life of the patient.