Shoulder joint roughness
Shoulder joint roughness is caused by the erosion of the smooth cartilage covering the joint surfaces of the upper end of the humerus (called the glenohumeral joint) and the glenoid cavity, as shown in the picture below. The term "shoulder joint roughness" is a general term that refers to the erosion or degeneration of the cartilaginous surfaces between the glenohumeral joint and the glenoid cavity, a condition that differs from the erosion or degeneration of the acromioclavicular joint. Note that the shoulder joint consists of three bones and two joints, as shown in the picture.
Shoulder joint roughness
Shoulder joint roughness may cause severe pain to the patient and hinder many of his normal daily activities, such as throwing a ball, lifting loads, or driving a car, as the glenohumeral joint participates in most arm movements. The incidence of shoulder osteoarthritis increases with age, but there are other causes that may increase the incidence of osteoarthritis even in young people, such as sports injuries, recurrent dislocations, and excessive stress.
Symptoms
Symptoms of shoulder osteoarthritis usually develop gradually, and may disappear for a period and then return again. The initial symptoms for most patients are pain in the surrounding muscles (similar to muscle pain after exercise) and stiffness of the joint. Some common symptoms and signs of shoulder osteoarthritis:
Local pain in the shoulder: usually concentrated in the back of the shoulder.
Joint stiffness and loss of movement: inability to move the arm at the full rate of movement of the shoulder joint.
A crackling and friction sound when moving.
Weakness in the movement and muscles of the shoulder
Increased severity of the condition when immobile: The joint may hurt more and become stiffer when immobile (such as when sleeping), and when moving after that, the pain and stiffness decrease.
Swelling.
Diagnosis
Clinical examination: Knowing the history of the medical condition and clinical symptoms is an essential factor for diagnosis, through which the rate of movement and pain is evaluated and the presence of any positive signs of the patient suffering from shoulder joint roughness or some other signs such as the presence of damage to the tissues surrounding the joint or weakness in the surrounding muscles, etc. is determined...
X-ray images: X-rays are taken in different positions to detect the presence of narrowing in the space between the glenohumeral joint and the glenoid cavity.
Blood tests: These may be used to investigate the presence of rheumatoid arthritis or to investigate any other medical conditions.
MRI: This is to evaluate the condition of the connective tissues of the joint, ligaments and internal structures of the shoulder joint to clarify the extent of atrophy or wear or damage to soft tissues that do not appear on X-rays.
Synovial fluid analysis: A sample of synovial fluid may be withdrawn to analyze the sample in the laboratory.
Diagnosis of shoulder joint roughness
Treatment
Conservative non-surgical methods: In the early stages of shoulder joint roughness, conservative treatment options may be resorted to, including changing the lifestyle by reducing pressure on the affected joint, losing weight, physical therapy, or using anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, and other solutions.
Manual treatment under general anesthesia: aims to treat and improve the rate of movement of the shoulder joint and the tissues surrounding the joint and stiffness of the shoulder joint. The patient is subjected to this procedure when he suffers from stiffness of the shoulder joint (or so-called frozen shoulder) and does not respond to physical therapy, such that physical therapy causes pain to the patient.
Arthroscopy of the shoulder joint: Arthroscopy of the shoulder joint may be resorted to to remove floating bodies that may cause damage to the cartilaginous surface of the glenohumeral joint, or to remove bony protrusions to reduce bone friction.
Shoulder joint replacement: If conservative treatment methods are unsuccessful and for severe and advanced cases, the shoulder joint is replaced with an artificial joint. The replacement of the shoulder joint may be complete or partial. The appropriate decision is made according to the patient's condition and the case after evaluation. Regenerative therapy: It is considered one of the latest methods for dealing with cases of joint roughness, and is considered an alternative treatment for patients with shoulder joint roughness. This treatment program provides an alternative solution that works to relieve pain and improve movement, and is done by extracting fat cells rich in stem cells from the patient's own tissue and injecting them into the shoulder joint. The principle of this method is based on stimulating the healing process and self-healing of the damaged cartilage and tissues in the joint, which cannot be achieved through the methods mentioned above. Regenerative therapy is an ideal option for early, intermediate and some advanced cases, so we recommend all our patients to address the cases before it is too late.
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