Related articles: Osteochondrosis
Definition
Osteochondrosis is a group of diseases in which there is an alteration of the normal cartilage and bone growth process.
The causes that determine its onset are not yet clear, but a genetic predisposition to manifest the disorder has been hypothesized. Furthermore, in the area affected by osteochondrosis, there is always a necrotic-degenerative alteration, probably due to a lower blood supply to the ossification nucleus.
Osteochondrosis is typical of the age of growth (childhood and adolescence) and tends to resolve spontaneously upon reaching skeletal maturity.
These conditions differ in anatomical distribution (eg Sever's disease: calcaneus; Scheuermann's syndrome: vertebral osteochondrosis; Perthes' disease: upper epiphysis of the femur; Osgood-Schlatter syndrome: anterior tibial apophysis, etc.).
Most common symptoms and signs *
- Asthenia
- Knee pain
- Foot pain
- Heel pain
- Hip pain
- Bone pain
- Back pain
- Articolar pains
- Pains of growth
- Muscle pains
- Sore legs
- Joint swelling
- hyperkyphosis
- hyperlordosis
- weakness
- Muscular hypotrophy
- Backache
- Nodule
- osteophytes
- Joint stiffness
- Articular noises
- Scoliosis
Further indications
The main clinical sign of osteochondrosis is the pain associated with joint stiffness, to which functional impotence and marked muscular hypotrophy are usually added.
Osteochondrosis can have important orthopedic implications (eg hypercifosis and scoliosis) and when articular cartilage undergoes serious alterations it can lead to arthrosis phenomena belatedly.
The clinical diagnosis is confirmed by radiological examination and nuclear magnetic resonance.
The therapy involves the reduction of physical activity, the use of analgesic drugs and the use of braces, plaster casts, orthopedic corsets or other devices in order not to stress the affected bone segment, in association with targeted physiotherapy.
In the most serious cases, surgical treatments are used that favor an anatomical reconstruction.
