Knee Arthritis

Arthritis is not a symptom of “just getting old”. It is a degenerative or inflammatory disease of the joints that is not necessarily part of the normal aging process. Indeed, some patients with arthritis present symptoms in their 20s and 30s. Although there are several types of arthritis, one of the most common is called osteoarthritis. It affects millions of people in the world today.

Arthritis causes permanent deterioration of the cartilage layers that shield the joint from impact. Because cartilage cannot repair or replenish itself, it begins to crack, wear away and eventually disappear. The cushion the knee requires to absorb stress is gone, resulting in bone-on-bone contact. The bones in advanced cases may be so Rough and pitted from grinding against each other that they form bone spurs, which often cause stiffness.

In the first stage of osteoarthritis, the knee may feel stiff and swollen, followed by pain and some deformity too. Eventually, the mobility may become limited and you may need to alter your lifestyle to accommodate your sore, arthritic knee. If you are overweight or have a malalignment, the extra stress on the knee can accelerate the damage.

In the late stages of osteoarthritis, there is a severe pain in and around the knee, needing regular pain medications. Night pain or Rest pain may also be a feature with severe restrictions in ADL (Activities of Daily Living). There is a progressive loss of co-ordination and balance in walking, with a resultant higher risk of falling and sustaining other injuries. A common scenario in India where people tend to avoid recommended surgery and land up with other injuries post falls.