Definition – What is a hemarthros?
In medicine, haemarthros is a bruise within a joint (joint hematoma). In comparison to a hematoma, which can form anywhere in the body, it is found inside joints (knee or shoulder joint). The accumulation of blood is usually visible in the form of swelling and a bluish discoloration of the skin. The increased formation of blood is usually caused by a serious injury in the joint area (e.g. torn ligament or cartilage damage in the knee joint).
Symptoms and pain
The nature of the symptoms depends on the size and extent of the haemarthrosis. In the case of a small haematoma, there is only a slight swelling of the joint and a slight pain when under pressure. If a larger joint bruise develops, a very painful tension pain occurs in addition to a significant swelling.
This is caused by the fact that the space inside the joint is reduced due to the massive accumulation of blood. This results in a significant reduction in mobility. The development of swelling is a typical, clearly visible symptom.
Due to the pathological, increased formation of blood in the joint, the veins running through it are no longer able to transport the blood sufficiently. As a result, a swelling occurs. Sometimes the skin can also become warm.
Treatment for hemorrhoids
The treatment focuses on the timely removal of the bruise from the joint, since untreated bruising leads either to infections or to protracted secondary damage. The conservative, symptomatic therapy consists of immobilization, cooling and elevation of the affected joint with possibly light compression bandages. In addition, an analgesic therapy with painkillers (analgesics) can be applied.
If disorders in blood coagulation are the cause, they must be diagnosed precisely and remedied with appropriate medication. If the bruise cannot heal on its own despite all the measures applied, a puncture or joint puncture is performed. Since this procedure involves piercing the joint directly with a sterile needle (hollow needle), this procedure should be performed under absolutely sterile (germ-free) conditions in order to prevent inflammation (infection) of the joint.
During the puncture, the blood is sucked out through the advanced needle. This reduces the pressure within the affected joint and the patient usually experiences immediate, significant relief of symptoms. The punctured blood can then be examined in the laboratory for its components, thus ruling out bacterial infection.
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