Analysis of the vascular abnormalities of the patients with ankle joint mild osteoarthritis

The vascular factor is one of the leading pathogenesis factors in the formation of ankle joint osteoarthritis. Dystrophic and sclerotic changes in the joint tissues develop as a result of blood flow decrease. These mechanisms understanding will allow to plan treatment and rehabilitation measures, as well as predict and prevent complications. The purpose of the work is to study hemodynamic parameters in the main lower leg arteries of the in patients in follow-up period of mild ankle joint osteoarthritis. Two groups of patients were examined. The first group - 82 patients with mild ankle joint osteoarthritis in the follow-up period (10 years) and the second group - control (healthy) group of 58 people without ankle joint osteoarthritis. Duplex scan of the main lower leg arteries was performed to all the patients. The state of arteries and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated. Excell and STATISTICA 10.0 programs were used for statistical data processing. In patients with follow-up of mild ankle joint osteoarthritis, the diameter of the arteries did not differ from the control group. In patients with mild ankle joint osteoarthritis the thickness of the Intima-media complex in the lower leg arteries and walls pulsation were significantly higher than those in patients of the control group (p <0.05). Analysis of hemodynamic parameters in patients with ankle joint osteoarthritis revealed an increase in the linear velocity of blood flow with a further tendency to normalization and even decrease in the follow-up compared with the control group. Signs of perfusion difficulty that accompanied the development of high blood pressure syndrome in the lower leg arteries were observed in 122 (67.0%) patients, and the signs of perfusion difficulty were bilateral in most of the cases (86.9%). Stenosis, deformation and arteries tortuosity were noted in 22% of patients with ankle joint osteoarthritis. Thus, mild ankle joint osteoarthritis is accompanied by blood flow changes in the form of inadequate perfusion and high-pressure syndrome in the lower leg arteries, which can cause secondary injuries and requires higher attention when selecting treatment and rehabilitation actions.