Abstract

JANU SANDHI: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FROM AYURVEDIC AND MODERN CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES

Dr. Praveen Nandal*, Dr. Murali K., Dr. Neha Saini, Dr. Deepak Kumar

Abstract

Background: Janu Sandhi, anatomically correlated with the knee joint, is one of the most complex and weight-bearing synovial joints of the human body. It plays an essential role in locomotion, stability, posture maintenance, and functional mobility. Due to continuous biomechanical stress, aging, obesity, inflammatory conditions, trauma, and degenerative changes, the knee joint is highly susceptible to a wide spectrum of disorders. Ayurveda describes various pathological conditions affecting Janu Sandhi under disease entities such as Sandhigata Vata, Amavata, and Vatarakta. Modern medicine correlates these conditions with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, ligament injuries, and meniscal pathologies. Objective: The present review aims to comprehensively analyze Janu Sandhi from both Ayurvedic and modern clinical perspectives, emphasizing anatomy, physiology, etiopathogenesis, disease correlation and diagnostic approaches. Data Sources: Data for this review were collected from classical Ayurvedic texts including Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridaya, along with modern medical literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, AYUSH Research Portal, orthopedic textbooks, and rheumatological databases. Review Methods: A PRISMA-guided narrative review methodology was adopted. Relevant articles related to Janu Sandhi, Sandhigata Vata, Amavata, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ligament injuries, and integrative management were systematically screened and analyzed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: The review demonstrates significant conceptual similarities between Ayurvedic descriptions of Sandhigata Vata and modern osteoarthritis, as well as between Amavata and rheumatoid arthritis. Ayurvedic concepts such as Vata vitiation, Shleshaka Kapha depletion, Ama formation, and Dhatukshaya show notable correlation with degenerative and inflammatory mechanisms described in modern medicine. Conclusion: Janu Sandhi disorders represent a major global health burden due to their chronicity, disability, and impact on quality of life. An integrative understanding combining Ayurvedic principles with modern orthopedic and rheumatological perspectives may offer more holistic, patient-centered, and sustainable management strategies for knee joint disorders.

Keywords: Janu Sandhi, Knee Joint, Sandhigata Vata, Amavata, Vatarakta, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ayurveda, Panchakarma, Orthopedics.