Osteochondrosis is a degenerative bone condition that most commonly affects the spine and knees. This mainly causes severe pain and mobility problems. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out complex treatment.
Osteochondrosis - what is it?
It is based on a violation of the endocrine chemical processes. However, this condition is the result of ischemia of the hyaline cartilage during metaplasia of the developing bone. This condition is often correctly referred to as juvenile osteonecrosis because it develops within the developing skeletal system.
In patients with osteonecrosis, the cartilage tissue is ischemic, depleted, and as a result dies. Cartilage does not mineralize but liquefies and then separates from the bone from which it is formed because it is not very strong. The separation of cartilage from bone can be caused by mechanical factors.
Osteoma can manifest itself in a variety of ways, but patients often have:
- Spinal osteomas, which in most cases include the lumbar or cervical spine.
- Knee osteosarcoma with the burden of the tibial canal, forming the knee joint.
In this article, we will pay special attention to osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (SHO).
Osteochondrosis - causes
Osteochondrosis is a disease, the cause of which is degenerative-dystrophic largely depends on the form of the disease occurring in a particular patient. In the case of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, its development can be the result of a violation of the tension of the structures responsible for the stability of the spine. The cause of the disease can also be due to the gradual loss of the cushioning properties of the discs. As for osteonecrosis of the knee, it usually occurs due to a fracture of the tibia. This is an overload arising from an imbalance between the cross-section of the muscle, the surface of the attachment, and the forces acting on a too small area, i. e. the flaccidity of the tibia.
Features of cervical segment osteonecrosis
Osteoma of the cervical spine is different from the presentation of osteoma of the lumbar and thoracic segments.
The neck contains many blood vessels and nerves, including the vertebral artery that enters the spinal canal. Therefore, with osteonecrosis of the cervical spine, when the vertebrae are displaced, nerve formation will appear in the lateral segments (possibly causing irritation of the muscles and surrounding ligaments).
When the vertebral artery is compressed due to the artery narrowing (narrowing), the blood supply to the brain stem and cerebellum decreases.
Symptoms of cervical osteonecrosis
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis are caused by the following factors: spinal root compression (spondylitis), spinal cord compression (myelopathy), spinal cord injury due to circulatory disorders associated with stenosis(narrowing) arteries. and veins.
Lens syndrome (sciatica)
Symptoms of cervical spondylosis are related to compression (compression) of nerve roots. The pain can start from the neck to the shoulder and radiate to the outside of the shoulder, forearm, and fingers. It can affect the sensitivity of the skin on the forearms, hands, and fingers.
Spinal artery syndrome
Headache (paroxysmal, persistent, impulsive, intense when turning the head), dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears.
SHO treatment
In the acute stage, accompanied by severe pain, it is indicated to use topical analgesics and corticosteroids to reduce muscle tension in the motor segment of the vertebrae and relieve pain.
Combinations of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antispasmodics, analgesics and vitamins are effective.