Knee Arthritis (Knee Osteoarthritis)

Knee Arthritis is a degenerative knee condition where the cartilaginous structure of the knee wears away by abrasion. The degeneration in the knee, the largest and strongest joint that carries the body weight, often results from advancing age and excessive weight and causes pain and difficulty in walking. As it progresses, the degeneration that starts within the articular cartilage soon affects the bone underneath as well as the joint capsule and ligaments around the joint. The first goal of the orthopaedist is to diagnose the problem at early stages, slow down, and if possible, entirely stop the progressing arthritis. The early diagnosis is highly crucial since advanced arthritis may lead to complete loss of the cartilaginous structure and therefore require total knee replacement surgery.

There is no regenerative treatment for knee arthritis. In other words, no medical procedure can restore the frayed cartilaginous tissue to its former state. So much so that, the only two solutions to the problem remains to be the prevention of progression of arthritis or inserting materials that would assume the role of the knee joint through total knee replacement. It should be noted that the ideal way to overcome knee arthritis is to take the necessary that precautions before arthritis becomes a serious issue and starts hindering everyday activities such as walking or climbing stairs.

Who Does Knee Arthritis Affect? What are the Causes?

Two most significant causes for knee arthritis are age and excessive weight.  The cartilaginous structures within the knee become frayed yet arthritis can become inevitable when other factors are added up to this fact. Excessive weight is another significant cause of knee arthritis. Extra body weight increases the force on the knees and gives way to faster decay of the cartilaginous structures of the joint. Therefore, it is important to remember that each extra pound a person puts on results in three-times more force on the knee joint. However, knee arthritis can still occur even if when one does not fit in the aging overweight group of potential patients. Genetic factors, weak muscles, or additional diseases can also pose a risk for arthritis. Below is a list of most causes of knee arthritis:

• Old age
• Excessive weight
• Congenital factors
• Blows and bruises to the kneecap
• Former ligament, cartilage or meniscus injuries
• Infection of the knee joint
• Rheumatic diseases

Symptoms of Knee Arthritis

• Pain: This is the most distinct symptom of knee arthritis. Pain shows progress with arthritis and may become severe in time rendering common physical activities such as walking difficult and painful. Arthritis pain can even become overwhelming while resting.
• Restricted movement: Everyday movements of the knee can become difficult. Patient can have find it hard to walk, go up or down the stairs, or crouch.
• Swelling: Some cases of knee arthritis may display swelling on the kneecap. Though uncommon, such swelling may also occur at the back of the knee.
• Since knee arthritis generally progresses with age, these symptoms may become evident by degrees.

Treatment of Knee Arthritis

Treatment method for knee arthritis is determined in accordance with the stage of arthritis and complaints of the patient. Arthritis cases are graded into four groups from Grade 1 to 4. The lower the grade, the easier the treatment will be; for instance, a Grade 4 patient may need to undergo total knee replacement surgery while a Grade 1 patient may require a much simpler approach. Complaints of the patient are as important as the stage of arthritis. If your cartilaginous structure defect is waking you up with pain or restricting the move of your knee to such an extent that you find it very difficult to move with a considerable amount of decline in your quality of life even after you have been treated with non-surgical methods, total knee replacement sounds inevitable.

Non-surgical Treatment

First of all, you may need to change some of your habits. If you are overweight, for instance, you definitely need to lose weight. Losing weight is important not only for preventing arthritis, but also against many other diseases. Undergoing total knee replacement surgery may still call for weight loss for this will prolong the longevity of the prosthetic joint.

You need to exercise in order to strengthen the muscles in and around the knee since weak muscles increase the risk of arthritis.

Using supporting materials such as knee pads or soft sole shoes may ease arthritis pain. You can also use a walking stick to decrease the pressure on the knee.

• Resting is as helpful as exercising in knee arthritis.
• Applying cold compression on your knee may also reduce arthritis pain while medication can be used to alleviate pain.
• Lubrication by intra-articular injections, too, can be give efficient results in decreasing pain.
• Anti-inflammatory applications are also an option in ensuring the absorption of joint liquid by the joint membrane.
• Advancing knee arthritis can be prevented by Platelet Rich Plasma injections (PRP) at early stages.
• Prolotherapy can also be considered in knee arthritis.
• Finally, physiotherapy can give effective results in lower grade knee arthritis cases.

Surgical Treatment of Knee Arthritis

Advanced knee arthritis patients with fully deteriorated cartilaginous structures and dramatically decreased quality of life may need to undergo full knee replacement surgery. The purpose of full knee replacement surgery is to insert a material into the knee that would imitate the knee joint and restore motion. An average full knee replacement surgery takes about 2 hours and it starts with a 10-cm incision on the front side of the knee. After reaching the joint, the orthopaedic surgeon extracts the deformed surfaces of the joint and resurfaces the damaged surface with prosthetic components. Patients are asked to rest on the first post-operative day though they can stand on their feet within 24 hours. The overall time required for patients to stay in the hospital is 3-5 days. For more information on total knee replacement surgery and post-operative procedures, please refer to our article on knee replacement.