Knee a vital weight bearing joint with a complex structure of bones, muscles, bursae, cartilage and
ligaments. For all activities like walking, running, twisting, squatting or any other movement we depend
on the knee for stability and mobility. A healthy cartilage acts like a distinctive cushion between the
knee joints during daily activities.
Diseases of Knee Joints
Wear and tear of knee joints is called as Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease/condition. This
condition/disease is mainly due to the wear and tear and progressive loss of articular cartilage. This
condition is most common in elderly people and one of the most common disease Worldwide.
Osteoarthritis is commonly termed as Arthritis. Arthritis is defined as a joint inflammation which causes
cartilage degeneration. When the cartilage wears off or tears apart it becomes either rough or
completely disappears making the bones surface to rub against each other which results in pain and
Arthritis.
Knee Osteoarthritis affects 3 layers in the knee, which are Medial, Lateral and Patellofemoral joint. This
condition/disease usually develops slowly and affect our day-to-day activities. Knee OA is influenced by
many factors such as age, family, obesity, diabetes and many more.
Knee Osteoarthritis is divided into two part which are Primary and Secondary. In Primary Osteoarthritis
the articular degeneration causes without any underlying causes.
In Secondary Osteoarthritis it is either because of abnormal concentration of force on the joint or
abnormal articular cartilage such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The possible causes for knee
Osteoarthritis are:
1.Obesity
2. Joint Hypermobility or Instability
3. Malpositioning of the joint
4. Previous injury of the joint
5. Congenital defects
6. Loss of mobility
7. Family History and
8. Metabolic causes
Knee Osteoarthritis is a progressive condition/disease that may eventually lead to disability and intense
clinical symptoms may vary for each individual.
How to Recognize Early Symptoms and Available Treatment Options
Symptoms:
Knee arthritis develops gradually over a span of year, but in certain conditions it develops quite hastily.
The symptoms might vary from one individual to another, but the most common symptoms are:
1.Stiffness or soreness while walking or sitting for long hours
2. Increase in knee pain while doing weight bearing activities
3. Swelling
4. Decrease in Flexibility
5. Prolonged Joint Pains
6. A grinding or locking feeling while performing certain movements
Diagnosis:
Physical Exam by an Orthopedic doctor will check your affected joints for Tenderness, Swelling, Redness
and Flexibility. To get an exact picture of your knee joint, Doctors advice for X-Ray. If the X-Ray isn’t clear
you will be suggested for an MRI. Lab tests include Blood tests and Joint Fluid analysis.
As such Osteoarthritis can’t be reversed, but treatment is advised to reduce the pain and help you
perform your day-to-day activities better.
Available Treatment Options
Treatment for Knee OA is differentiated into two part which are:
1. Conservative and
2. Surgical Management
The initial treatment starts with Conservative modalities such as Physiotherapy, Knee bracing, Activity
modification, Electromagnetic field, Intra-articular injections and advice on weight loss. A combination
of administered exercise and in-house activity program gives you the best result. These benefits will not
be seen if the exercises are discontinued.
Other than Physiotherapy few Pharmacological treatments, some other surgical treatments for knee OA
include Cartilage replacement, Knee Arthroplasty Osteotomy and Arthroscopy. Depending on the
conditions the most appropriate surgery will be performed.
We at Sai Sanjeevini Super Speciality Hospital, Hyderabad offer all Health Care Services. We are the best
Orthopedic Hospital in Hyderabad and endeavor to the best Orthopedic Doctors in Hyderabad. At Sai
Sanjeevini Hospital we always provide quality health care services that combine with effectiveness,
advanced treatment procedures and state of treatment technologies.