As a person ages, the risk of developing diseases of the spine and joints increases. This is due to 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 40 years of age are especially susceptible to it. The disease can lead to disability. Therefore, it needs to be treated promptly and competently.
The ankle consists of the fibula, talus and tibia, two malleoluses and articular ligaments. With arthrosis, inflammation and destruction of articular cartilage occurs. Bone tissue becomes damaged and deformed as the pathology progresses.
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 him, a doctor in any country will understand what the patient is suffering from and where the pathological focus is localized.
The diagnosis of arthrosis is presented in a block of 5 headings and several subheadings. Arthrosis of the ankle is included in category M19. This section is divided into 5 subsections. The sign after the dot indicates 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 arthrosis of the ankle resulting from injury.
Causes
Pathology develops for various reasons. Provoking factors for the onset of the disease 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.
- Ankle injury.
- Wearing uncomfortable shoes, walking in heels.
In children, pathology develops for the following reasons:
- Thyrotoxicosis.
- Tissue dysplasia.
- Injury.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Fracture.
- Inflammation of the joints.
- Dislocation.
Symptoms
The following manifestations are typical for ankle arthrosis:
- Pain. It appears after staying in one position. When a person tries to stand up and lean on his leg, he experiences piercing (aching) pain and stiffness of movement. After a few steps the discomfort goes away. Pain appears during and after physical activity.
- Clicking, crunching in the ankle joint while walking.
- Limitation of movements.
- Swelling under the ankles.
- Hypotrophy, weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.
- Deformation of the joint (typical of an advanced disease).
Degrees
There are several degrees of arthrosis. Many years pass from the onset of the first signs of degenerative changes in the joint to loss of mobility. If you start therapy on time, there is a chance to stop the progression of the disease. The success of treatment depends on the stage at which the pathology was detected.
Degrees of arthrosis of the ankle joint:
- First. 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. When bending and straightening the foot, a crunching sound occurs. No pathological changes are detected on x-ray. The prognosis for drug treatment is favorable.
- Second. Symptoms of the disease intensify. Morning stiffness does not go away for about an hour. Pain appears at the beginning of walking. Having covered only 1 km of distance, a person feels very tired in his legs. When the ankle moves, a crunching sound occurs. X-rays show osteophytes, the convergence of the ends of the bones. Surgical treatment is indicated.
- Third. Pain syndrome occurs not only during movement, but also at rest. A person cannot work or rest normally without anesthetics. The patient is unable to move independently. The X-ray image shows cracks, flattening of joint surfaces, osteophytes, and subluxation. Treatment is surgical and medicinal.
- Fourth. Manifestations of the disease are mild. The pain goes away. But stiffness of movement does not allow a person to walk. The cartilage at the fourth stage is completely destroyed. The x-ray shows healing of the joint space.
Diagnostics
During diagnosis, the doctor determines the degree of the disease and identifies exacerbation. For this, laboratory and hardware techniques are used:
- Blood test (detailed).
- Rheumatoid tests.
- Ultrasound.
- CT.
- CRP test.
- Radiography.
- MRI.
Treatment
Therapy should be comprehensive and include taking medications, using physical therapy methods, and performing therapeutic physical exercises.
The following medications are prescribed to the patient:
- Anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs.
- Chondroprotectors.
- Painkillers.
- Corticosteroid hormones.
Joint mobility is restored by manual therapy and procedures using a special apparatus. Physiotherapy accelerates regeneration and stimulates blood circulation in the affected joint. Electrical stimulation, laser therapy, and ultrasound are effective. In case of pronounced dystrophic changes, endoprosthetics is performed.
Prevention
You can prevent ankle arthrosis by following the following rules:
- Maintain weight within normal limits.
- Strengthen the spine with special exercises.
- Avoid injury.
- Correct congenital abnormalities of joint structure.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Treat endocrine and vascular disorders in a timely manner.
- Regularly undergo preventive examinations if you have a genetic predisposition to the disease.