AIM. To provide rationale for early basic therapy in patients with gonarthrosis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Three hundred and eight female and male patients with early stages of gonarthrosis and 50 healthy individuals were examined. Clinical, X-ray, and arthrosonographic studies were performed; the levels of interleukin (IL) 1beta, IL-1B receptor antagonist, and IL-6 were measured and quality of life was assessed. RESULTS. The findings have led to the conclusion that the early stages of gonarthrosis are characterized by significant clinical symptomatology and lower femur condylar cartilage height; synovitis is frequently revealed by arthrosonography; there is IL-1beta hyperproduction; the quality of life in the patients is worse than that in the healthy individuals from the control group
Therapy aimed at alleviating the symptoms of gonarthrosis and local inflammation and reducing the rate of articular cartilage degradation and X-ray progression of the disease should be initiated at the earliest, including pre-X-ray, stages of the pathological process.