Knee pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of knee arthritis
Symptoms of Knee Arthritis
Symptoms of knee arthritis tend to progress as the condition worsens. The most common symptoms of knee arthritis are:
- Pain while doing activities
- Limited range of motion
- Stiffness of knee
- Swelling of joint
- Tenderness along joint
- Deformity of joint
Causes of Knee Arthritis
The causes of knee arthritis are still unknown. But according to physicians the main causes are:
- Muscle weakness
- Obesity
- Heredity
- Joint injury or stress
- Aging
Types of Knee Arthritis
There are three basic types of arthritis that may affect the knee joint:
- Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of knee arthritis. It is also known as wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease. It develops due to wearing away of cartilage of the joint. It most often affects middle-aged and older people. In the early stages, it develops slowly and hence, is difficult to detect. It affects only a minimum number of joints i.e. hands, hips, knees and spine.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, autoimmune condition that can destroy the body’s soft-tissues and joints. It can occur at any age. It generally affects both knees. Its symptoms are joint pain, joint incapacity, swelling, stiffness.
- Post-traumatic Arthritis – Post-traumatic arthritis can develop after an injury to the knee. This type of arthritis is similar to osteoarthritis and may develop years after a fracture, ligament injury, or meniscus tear. The symptoms of post-traumatic arthritis include joint pain, swelling, fluid accumulation in the joint and decreased tolerance of walking, sports, stairs and other activities which stresses the joint.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Treatments will vary depending upon the main cause of knee pain.
- Medications – Medications helps to relieve pain and to treat underlying conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
- Injections – Injections like Corticosteroids and Hyaluronic acid may help in reducing symptoms of knee arthritis and pain.
- Surgery – Surgery is the final option and may be required to relieve symptoms. There are many different options for surgery like Arthroscopic surgery, Partial knee replacement surgery and Total knee replacement.
Though knee pain is not a serious problem but some knee injuries and medical conditions like osteoarthritis can lead to increasing pain, joint damage and even disability if left untreated.
Listed below are some clinical trials investigating new treatments for knee arthritis.
- Evaluation of Salivary Gland Dysfunction
- Human Movement Database
- Familial Mediterranean Fever and Related Disorders: Genetics and Disease Characteristics
- Genetic Analysis of Immune Disorders
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