Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis with the knees being the most commonly affected site. It is a chronic progressive degenerative disease of the joint.

There are two types of OA, primary which means there is no underlying reason and secondary which means it is due to another cause, such as trauma, surgery, RA and many other reasons.

Risk Factors 

The risk factors for knee osteoarthritis include trauma, certain jobs that involve a lot of standing and repetitive knee bending, increased weight, and underlying medical conditions (such as metabolic syndrome). Women are at an increased risk compared to men.Other risk factors also include increased age and genetics.

Symptom 

Symptoms may vary based on the severity of the OA. 

Symptoms include

• Knee pain that worsens over time 

• Swelling

• Weakness 

• Stiffness

• Limping

Diagnosis

You do not need X-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis, however it is a good tool to evaluate how much osteoarthritis you have. 

Treatment

Initial treatments involve:

• Exercise 

• combination of low-impact aerobic fitness training— walking, cycling, rowing

•  lower-limb strengthening exercise

• If overweight, consider weight loss

• Modifying your activities to decrease pain

• Bracing may help improve stability 

• There is Inconsistent data on chondroitin and glucosamine but can be considered

Medications

-pain reducers

-anti-inflammatories - topical/ oral

-Injections- CSI, viscosupplementation 

Depending on your response to initial treatments and the severity of your OA, surgery may be considered. 

Prevention 

There is no way to prevent OA, but keeping an active lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight may help to hasten the progression.