Joints are the parts where two or more bones meet and these parts allow the body parts to move more easily. Articular cartilage is a joint section with a special structure that helps to carry load and painless movement in the joint. Articular cartilage also covers the surfaces of the joints facing each other like a pillow and ensures the protection of the surface of the joints. As the articular cartilage erodes, it begins to fail to protect the articular surface. With the erosion of the articular cartilage, the underlying bone that is attached to the joint emerges, and this situation is called osteoarthritis or arthrosis. Among the people, this situation is called calcification. There is no treatment for this abrasion, but medication and surgical methods can be used.
What are the Symptoms of Abrasion or Injury of the Articular Cartilage?
Significant joint pain is felt especially in the related area of the joint in cartilage injuries. In addition, swelling may occur in the joint with increased joint fluid. Contrary to popular belief, swelling due to increased joint fluid does not decrease with activity or sports, but even increases and decreases with rest. Joint swelling causes complaints such as snagging, locking, and squeezing in the joint.
What is Joint Mice?
It may be a piece that breaks off as a result of deterioration of the cartilage or bone structure in the joint, the cause of which we do not know. This part can move freely in the joint and patients can feel this part.
This part seen in the joint fluid or synovium is called the joint mouse (loose body). This condition is also known as osteochondritis dissecas. The sizes of joint mice can range from a few millimeters to several centimeters, they are not a specific size. Since the load-carrying capacities of joint mice change in the future, it can also lead to calcification or different joint diseases.
Why Does Joint Mice Cause?
Joint rats are generally seen as a result of traumas such as falling, impact, fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis. in people who exercise frequently It is a common ailment. In particular, symptoms such as locking in the joints, pain, swelling, and feeling a moving object during movement may indicate joint rats.
Articular rat can also occur as a result of aging. Problems such as the decrease in the amount of water formed in the body as a result of aging, loss of elasticity, enlargement in chondrocyte size, and decrease in lysosomal enzymes cause softening of the cartilage.
With the softening of the cartilage, the resistance decreases and vertical small clefts are formed and even spilled from place to place, causing the bones at the junction of the joints to emerge. With the emergence of bones in the joints of the joints, the wear on the joints increases and a great increase in the complaints of the patients is seen.
What are the Types of Joint Mice?
Joint rat, which is most commonly seen in the knees, can also be found in other joints. Joint rat seen in the shoulder or elbow joint causes restriction of arm movements. It is also a discomfort that can cause locks and pain in the arm. When joint rats occur in the hip joint, it causes locking and gait disturbance.
What are the Symptoms of Joint Mice?
Joint rat can cause some symptoms such as;
- Pain,
- Sound from joint,
- Restriction of movement
- Stuck,
- Motion of an object in the joint during movement,
How to Diagnose Joint Mice? How to Treat?
Joint mice are often easily detected using imaging techniques such as x-rays. Arthroscopy or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination should be performed. Arthroscopy is an imaging technique like MRI and x-ray.
Diagnostic arthroscopy is performed under local anesthesia. Small one-centimeter incisions are made in the joint area and the intraarticular is viewed with a pen-sized camera. While arthroscopy was used only for diagnosis through imaging in the past, it is a method that can also be used for treatment today. Therapeutic arthroscopy is an operation performed under general anesthesia in the operating room. truck. For more comfortable viewing in arthroscopy, it is first inflated with an intra-articular fluid. After the procedure, this fluid is drained through the joint.
The areas that cannot be easily reached and visualized during open surgery can be reached with the small cameras used in the arthroscopy method. When the sizes of joint mice, which can vary in size from a few millimeters to several centimeters, reach centimeters, they must be surgically removed directly from the area.
After the surgical procedure, the patient is taken to the physiotherapy process in the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation department. Surgical removal of the broken piece
Why Treatment of Joint Mice is Important?
Although arthralgia is not generally considered much, it is a disease that needs attention, which can cause significant problems and decrease the quality of life. The cause of the disease should be determined as a result of detailed examinations. A method of treatment based on the cause identified and the size of the joint mouse is preferred.
It is recommended to treat the disease before it becomes advanced. Otherwise, joint rat can lead to bigger problems such as permanent disabilities, complicated situations and complaints that have become difficult to resolve. Joint rat is usually seen in the knee joint, but can also be seen in the elbow, hip and other joints.
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