Understanding Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis is a chronic disease that affects your knee joint causing damage that can be irreversible in many cases besides the severe and consistent pain, swelling and other symptoms.

In this article, you’ll have a closer look at knee arthritis, how does it form? What are the causes? How to manage this condition and more interesting information that help you have a better understanding.

What is Knee Arthritis?

Knee Arthritis is an inflammation that affects the cartilage in the knee joint, it gradually damages its surfaces , and this cartilage will eventually thin out causing many painful symptoms.

The cartilage works as a cushion that absorbs all the shocks that the knee might go through, it also helps the knee to bend and move freely without any friction.

Our knee joint has two types of cartilages:

• Hyaline Cartilage or articular cartilage lines the joint and covers the end of the bones inside the joint, it is perfectly lubricated to help your bones slide smoothly without any chance of friction, the patellar cartilage is also considered a Hyaline cartilage.

• Fibrocartilage is a tough tissue which is made from thick fibers, it holds the components of the knee joint in place and provide a perfect protection against shocks, the Meniscus is considered a fibrocartilage.

Types of Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis varies according to the cause of the inflammation, all leading to a relatively similar symptoms and some of them is irreversible and leads to a permanent damage to the tissues, the common types are:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis, and it is a degenerative condition that damages the knee joint if not managed on time, it is usually accompanied with a limited range of motion.

What Causes Osteoarthritis?

• Age osteoarthritis is a part of the natural aging process
• Genetics some people are more prone to osteoarthritis 
• Previous injury which weakens the knee joint overtime
• Obesity applies too much pressure on the knees leading to wear and tear
• Joint overuse it is a result of wrong and persistent moves like when playing sport
• Joint malformation congenital or acquired can weaken the joint overtime

Rheumatoid Arthritis

The second most common type of knee arthritis, and it is an autoimmune disease which means that the body considers the joint a foreign body, therefore attacking it and causing consistent harm.

What causes Rheumatoid Arthritis?

• Genetics play a crucial role behind having Rheumatoid arthritis
• Environmental factors like smoking - certain viruses - and even hormonal changes can trigger the rheumatoid arthritis genetics

Post-Traumatic Arthritis

This type of arthritis occurs after an injury, it can be a fracture or sprain, making the knee tissues and cartilages weak and prone to inflammation, therefore developing arthritis in the future.

What causes Post-Traumatic Arthritis?

It is mainly caused by a previous trauma to the knee and the chance of developing arthritis in the future relays on several factors including:

• The severity of the accident elevates the chances of arthritis
• Joint type like the knee which is most likely to develop arthritis
• Age older people have higher chances of getting arthritis following a trauma to the knee
• Genetics also increase the chances of developing arthritis later on

GOUT

Another common type of knee arthritis that is caused by the accumulation of the Uric Acid inside the knee joint due to many reasons, causing severe pain episodes and other symptoms. 

What causes GOUT?

• Overproduction of Uric acid 
• Underexcretion of Uric Acid
• Consuming too much Uric Acid 
• Excessive Alcohol consumption
• Certain types of medication
• Some uncontrolled medical conditions

Pseudogout

Also known as Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease (CPPD) is caused by the buildup of the Calcium Pyrophosphate crystals inside the knee joint.

What Causes Pseudogout?

• Age pseudogout is common in elderly people
• Genetics some people are more prone to this inflammation
• Certain medical conditions like diabetes
• Certain medication like some kind of diuretics 
• Joint trauma may increase the risk of pseudogout

Symptoms of Knee Arthritis

Unfortunately, knee arthritis symptoms start in a mild form and get worse gradually, and the symptoms are almost similar in all the different types of knee arthritis and they include:

• Pain in the knee which get worse by doing certain movements or like walking for a long time

• Knee stiffness which makes a simple move extremely hard like bending and moving

• Swelling in which the knee appears bigger and a fluid build may also lead to the enlarged knee

• Limping especially when you start moving after resting for a while as walking again can be painful

• Catching and locking of the knee and your knees can’t move freely and smoothly

• Crepitus the audible cracking, crunching, clicking or snapping sound when you move your knees

• Knee weakness which comes as a results of the stiffness and limited motion

• In advanced cases, the knee joint may become deformed or misaligned

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Stages of knee arthritis

There are five main stages of knee arthritis:

• Stage (0) Normal if you have no symptoms then your knees are healthy

• Stage (1) Minor your knee joint has some wear and tear but without any pain

• Stage (2) Mild you may feel pain and stiffness but still too early to make any management

• Stage (3) Moderate you have more persistent pain especially after getting up from a rest or playing some kinds of sports

• Stage (4) Severe you have all the symptoms of knee arthritis and you’ll probably need a surgery

Diagnosis of Knee Arthritis

At your consultation, you should provide the doctor with all the needed information regarding your medical history - family history - your diet habits - and chronic diseases or uncontrolled conditions.

After that, the doctor inspects the area of inflammation physically and by the X-Ray imaging which can give a better idea about the situation of the knee joint.

make sure to mention all the medication you are on currently and any type of sensitivity you may have, the doctor will eventually order some blood tests and even an MRI or CT scan for better diagnosis.

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Treatment of Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis is a consistent condition that needs constant management and care, the treatment aims basically to relieve the symptoms and delay the damage, here are your choices for knee arthritis treatments:

• Non-invasive Treatment

These treatments are highly beneficial during the early stages of arthritis and they include:

• Acetaminophen
• Physiotherapy to enhance the knee function and motion
• Non-steroidal Anti Inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen
• Dietary supplements like glucosamine - chondroitin
• Topical creams that relieve the pain and inflammation
• Corticosteroids or cortisol shots
• Cox -2 Inhibitors like Celecoxib

• Invasive Treatment

The invasive option works better for the late stages of arthritis and it provides a long-term relief of symptoms and an effective solution for many severe cases of inflammation and it include:

• Arthroplasty and it can be partial or full replacement of the knee joint and it is considered a major surgery

• Arthroscopy it is basically a minimally invasive procedure that treats fixable surfaces which are not entirely damaged

• Osteotomy which is cutting parts of the bone that are completely mis-shaped and re-creating the joint surfaces again 

Knee Arthritis Treatment at Turkey Luxury Clinics

It must be frustrating to live in pain, it is consistent and it only gets worse, stealing away good moments with your loved ones and even going through your daily routine.

But with the help of Turkey Luxury Clinics doctors and specialized orthopedics, you don’t have to suffer anymore! Let’s meet up and help you regain your normal life again!

Our orthopedic department is fully equipped with the latest technology and upgraded approach to help you overcome knee pain! Contact Turkey Luxury clinics and let’s start the journey now!

Resources

• Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Cleveland Clinic