Influence of pulse magnitotepapy on capillary blood flow indicators in complex treatment of patients with gonarthrosis

Background. Today, osteoarthritis, in particular its clinical form of gonarthrosis, is the most common degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the joints in practice in all countries.

The objective: of the present study was to estimate the efficacy of local pulsed magnetotherapy on capillary blood flow in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Methods. A total of 50 patients aged from 36 to 65 years with I−III stage gonarthrosis. All patients of the main group (n = 25) received treatment with a pulsed magnetic field and NSAID therapy (diclofenac 25 mg 3 times a day, course 15 days). Patients in the comparison group (n = 25) received only NSAIDs. The functional state of the capillary bed was assessed by biomicroscopy of the vessels of the outer corner of the eye using a fiber optic ophthalmoscope with a Riester Ri-Scope L diode lamp (Germany). The state of the vessels of the angle of the eye was assessed by capillary (KI1) intravascular (KI2), extravascular (KI3) and general (KIgen) indices.

Results. After a course of local pulsed magnetotherapy, normalization of the ateriol-venular ratio, restoration of blood flow through the capillaries and the disappearance of a cloudy background were noted in all patients of the main group. After 6 months, the found changes were preserved in the patients of the main group, while in patients receiving NSAID mototherapy, all positive changes from the capillary blood flow disappeared.

Conclusions. In recent years, magnetotherapy, both general and local, has been successfully used to treat patients with gonarthrosis. One of the mechanisms of action of magnetic fields is to improve microcirculation in tissues. The therapeutic effect of magnetic fields in gonarthrosis has been studied, and its high efficiency has been proven.