What is Subchondral Sclerosis?
Subchondral sclerosis is a kind of disease that is known to affect the bones most especially the joint of those that have osteoarthritis. It is important to note that Subchondral sclerosis can cause a whole lot of pains and numbness to joints as a result of the increased bone density and mass that are beneath the cartilage in the joints. The Subchondral sclerosis disease is one that is known to be very painful and chronic but the good news is that it is easy to detect and there are wide range of treatment options for it.
Signs and Symptoms
It is important to note that osteoarthritis is a broader term that tends to cover a wide range of joint diseases but Subchondral Sclerosis is more specific. However, in this case, there is a possibility of inflammation of the joint even before Subchondral sclerosis comes in. The femoral head and the acetabular cartilage will at some point begin to diminish and in the process starts producing subchondral sclerosis and this will cause the bones to start reacting due to lack of hyaline cartilage.
In addition, one thing that is noticeable in this case is the clear erosions and ulceration in the subchondral bone with the cartilaginous lining. This normally happens at the later stages of life especially from 55 years of age and it can likely happen even without a pathological alteration but just as a result of wear and tear which happens normally.
There are other symptoms of Subchondral sclerosis like decrease in height which occurs as a result of degenerative changes resulting in narrowing the space.
Detecting the symptoms of Subchondral sclerosis in younger patients could be difficult and tricky. This is because the younger people who may have this condition tend not to be aware of the situation unlike the older ones who could develop it after osteoarthritis. Young people may become aware only after experiencing some limited mobility in their joints or serious pains. However, this is only going to be confirm through X-ray. Therefore, it is always advisable that young people seek immediate professional advice if they start having some kind of pains and limited mobility of their joint.
What Causes Subchondral Sclerosis?
There are many causes of subchondral sclerosis known to professionals in the medical world and they include
Injury and Physical Exercises
There is no doubt that exercises are very good to the body and serves a lot of purpose. However, it is important to note that some of the exercises we do can actually lead to subchondral sclerosis. For example, it can occur as a result of lifting weight where the joints receives heavy strains or a situation where the joints rub together during long runs. The most important thing to understand is that over exercise has a lot of negative implications because it can cause degradation in the bones and ligaments. Osteoarthritis can happen as a result of injury sustained during some kind of exercises. Sometimes it also happens as a result of not really allowing the joint enough time to heal before undergoing additional exercises.
Excess Weight and Obesity
Obesity has been identified as one of the major causes of Subchondral sclerosis. When someone is obese and having a High Body Mass index BMI, it puts a lot of strain on the body. The implication is that these extra weight have a way of exerting pressure on the joint. What the weight does is to degrade synovial fluid that exists between joints and this causes a lot of friction in the bones. The friction experienced in this area opens the door to inflammation that then lead to osteoarthritis. Subchondral sclerosis gets worse with excess weight since there is an increased formation of bones around the joint. Other secondary factors could also be responsible like weakened immune system and even toxins arising from overeating.
Genetics
According to different studies on this subject, there is a link between genetics and subchondral sclerosis. Besides, Subchondral sclerosis can occur due to malfunction of the joints and this may happen without notice. However, at the later part of life, it is often diagnosed. According to studies, men under the age of 50 have a higher chance of developing subchondral sclerosis while more women over 60 are likely to suffer from the condition.
Detection of Subchondral Sclerosis
Subchondral sclerosis can be detected with the right equipment. It can be detected through radiology, this means it can be detected from an X-ray. On the x-ray, Subchondral sclerosis will appear as a white region visible along the joint line. One other important thing to note about subchondral sclerosis is that it can also be used to identify the initial stages of osteoarthritis. It is very important to detect Subchondral sclerosis on time because it is a very painful situation which could even lead to more joint and bone damage.
Treatment
Firstly, it is important to understand that there is no cure for osteoarthritis itself which is the condition that leads to Subchondral sclerosis. However, there are a lot of treatment options available and are designed to slow down the pains arising from this condition and also manage them. A lot of these options will require some changes to lifestyle.
There are quite a number of medication that are available but they normally do is to reduce the pain or inflammation as the case may be. Then there is also an option of surgery which is done to relieve the pain. The surgery can be mild like the arthroscopic surgery or major surgeries that tends to restore some movement in the joint. Having said that, the following are the treatment options but ensure that whatever option you choose is prescribed by a specialist.
- Thermotherapy
- Movement therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Ozone therapy
- Acupuncture
- Strengthening exercises
- Physical exercises like swimming
There are non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs that you can use especially when the condition is severe to act as painkillers. However, be mindful of the side effects which could be dangerous.