ankylosis "تعديل"
Ankylosis is a medical condition characterized by fusion of bones in a joint. It can be partial or a complete fusion. Ankylosis is a painful condition, restricting movement of the affected joint. It is a progressive chronic disease triggered due to various diseases such as arthritis, infection, or traumatic injury and inflammation.
Ankylosis can occur in any joint of the body. The sites of involvement comprise of axial skeleton and large synovial joints such as the hips, knee and shoulder.
Ankylosis of shoulder joints is a debilitating disease; people affected with it suffer from gradual increase in shoulder joint pain with stiffness of shoulder joint.
Treatment is aimed at relieving pain, stiffness and minimizing the deformity. Physical therapy, non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs and surgical correction are the main treatment objective of ankylosis shoulder.
Causes Of Ankylosis Of Shoulder
The cause of ankylosis shoulder is not exactly understood; however several factors are known to trigger this deformity.
Shoulder joint is composed of many bones. A part of humerus (bone of forearm), clavicle (collar bone) and scapula (shoulder blade) form the shoulder joint. Normally the bones are placed in such a way that that the joint is able to attain full range of motion.
They are situated in proximity of each other, but at the same time they are loose enough to prevent rubbing against each other and facilitate easy mobility. However, in ankylosis the end of bones in the joint grows in size abnormally. The process is called ossification. As the bones grow, they get fused limiting the joint mobility.
Several factors are responsible to trigger ankylosis. An infection in shoulder joint or traumatic injury or conditions such as arthritis can trigger the fusion of bones in shoulder joint. Men are affected more than women. Ankylosis is commonly observed between the ages 17 and 40 years.
Treatment Options For Shoulder Ankylosis
In most cases of mild to moderate ankylosis shoulder, the treatment is conservative. Patient suffering from it should participate in physical exercise as advised by a physiotherapist. Walking and swimming are the best exercises to maintain joint mobility. Non jarring exercises such as swimming are beneficial for keeping the shoulder joint flexible. Along with it, spinal and neck exercises and chest expansion exercise are useful.
- Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs are often the mainstay of therapy for the patients with ankylosis of shoulder. NSAID therapy is effective in ameliorating symptoms of pain and stiffness. It also permits the patient to carry out an exercise programme. However, these medications should always be taken with recommendation of doctors as their long time use can be detrimental to health.
- Disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs for arthritis has shown an effective relief in those suffering from peripheral synovitis. Thus it is beneficial in shoulder ankylosis and other major joints of the body.
- Occasionally, steroid injections in the shoulder joint may be beneficial in patients who are not responding to anti inflammatory medicines.
- Surgery: Surgery is the last option for patients who are in the advanced stage of disease producing painful deformities and loss of function.
Most patients who religiously follow an exercise and medication programme are able to lead relatively normal life with minor adjustment in their lifestyle.
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