Knee arthritis is pain, stiffness and swelling in the knee caused by the breakdown of the joint. The most common form is osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease, where the smooth cartilage that cushions the knee gradually wears away. The knee carries much of your body weight and takes a lot of stress over a lifetime, which is part of why it is one of the joints most often affected by osteoarthritis. As the cartilage thins, the bones begin to rub, leading to the pain and stiffness that make walking, climbing stairs and getting up from a chair harder. The cartilage cannot be regrown, but there is a great deal that can be done to relieve symptoms and keep you active.

If knee pain and stiffness are slowing you down, it helps to understand what is happening in the joint. The board-certified and fellowship-trained knee specialists at Resurgens Orthopaedics diagnose and treat knee arthritis at locations across metro Atlanta, with a full range of options from non-surgical care to joint replacement.

Overview

• What Is Knee Arthritis?
• What Causes Knee Osteoarthritis?
• Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms
• How Knee Arthritis Is Diagnosed
• Knee Arthritis Treatment
• Schedule an Appointment for Knee Arthritis Care

What Is Knee Arthritis?

The knee is where the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap meet, and the ends of those bones are capped with smooth cartilage that lets the joint glide and absorbs shock. In knee arthritis, the cartilage breaks down. In osteoarthritis, the most common type, it wears away gradually with age and use. As the cartilage thins, the protective space between the bones narrows, the bone can form rough growths called bone spurs and in advanced cases, the bones rub directly against each other, often described as bone on bone.

The knee has three compartments: the inner (medial) side, the outer (lateral) side and the area behind the kneecap. Osteoarthritis often begins in just one compartment, most often the inner side, before it spreads. When one side wears down more than the other, the leg can gradually bow inward or outward, which is one reason knee arthritis can change the way you stand and walk.

Osteoarthritis is not the only kind of knee arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition, can inflame and damage the knee, and post-traumatic arthritis can develop years after a knee injury such as a fracture or a torn ligament. This page focuses on osteoarthritis, but a knee specialist can identify which type you have and tailor treatment to it.

What Causes Knee Osteoarthritis?

Knee osteoarthritis develops slowly, and it usually results from a mix of factors rather than a single cause. Common causes and risk factors include:

• Age, since cartilage naturally wears with years of use
• A family history of osteoarthritis
• A previous knee injury, such as a fracture, an ACL tear or a meniscus tear
• Extra body weight, which adds stress to the weight-bearing knee joint
• Repetitive stress from activities or work that involve a lot of squatting, kneeling or heavy lifting
• Leg alignment that is bowed or knock-kneed, which loads one side of the knee more heavily

Because a prior injury can lead to arthritis years later, even an old knee injury that healed well is worth mentioning to your physician.

Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Symptoms of knee osteoarthritis usually come on slowly and tend to worsen over time. Common signs include:

• Knee pain that worsens with activity and eases with rest, and in later stages can occur at rest
• Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting for a while
• Swelling around the knee, which can also make it feel warm or tender
• A grinding, clicking or catching sensation when you move the knee
• A feeling that the knee may buckle or give way
• Difficulty fully bending or straightening the knee as it progresses

Please Note: Knee arthritis tends to progress gradually, so it is easy to put off having it looked at. Seeing a knee specialist earlier, while symptoms are milder, gives you more treatment options and more time to slow the impact on your daily life.

How Knee Arthritis Is Diagnosed

Diagnosis starts with a visit to a knee specialist, who will ask about your symptoms, examine the knee, check your range of motion and watch how you walk. An X-ray is the main imaging test. While cartilage itself does not show up on an X-ray, the image reveals the space between the bones, so a narrowed joint space points to lost cartilage, and the X-ray also shows bone spurs and other changes typical of osteoarthritis. An MRI is usually not needed to diagnose arthritis, but it may be used to look at the cartilage and soft tissue in more detail. Your physician may also order blood tests to help rule out rheumatoid arthritis and other types, which may be managed with a rheumatologist if found.

Knee Arthritis Treatment

No cure reverses lost cartilage, but a great deal can be done to relieve pain, improve movement and slow the impact of the disease. Treatment almost always begins with non-surgical care, and surgery is considered when arthritis is advanced and quality of life is affected.

Non-Surgical Treatment

Most people manage knee arthritis for a long time with non-surgical care:

• Activity changes, such as switching to low-impact exercise like swimming, cycling or tai chi
• Weight management to reduce the load on the knee joint
• Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that support the knee and maintain motion
• Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication to ease pain and swelling
• A brace that unloads or supports the affected part of the knee
• Joint injections, such as a corticosteroid to calm inflammation or a hyaluronic acid injection to lubricate the joint
• A topical option, such as capsaicin cream, which can cause a temporary burning feeling after use

Surgical Treatment

When non-surgical care no longer controls the pain and arthritis is interfering with daily life, your physician may discuss surgery. The right procedure depends on how much of the knee is affected. Options range from arthroscopy to address a specific mechanical problem, such as a loose fragment catching in the joint, to an osteotomy that reshapes the bone to shift weight off the worn side in younger, active patients, to knee replacement. A knee replacement may involve only the damaged compartment, called a partial knee replacement, or the whole joint, called a total knee replacement. Knee replacement is a well-established surgery that reliably relieves arthritis pain and restores mobility for many people. Your Resurgens surgeon will talk through which option fits your knee, your activity goals and how the arthritis is affecting your life.

Schedule an Appointment for Knee Arthritis Care

If knee pain and stiffness are getting in the way of the activities you enjoy, a knee specialist can help you understand your options and put together a plan. Book an appointment online today with a Resurgens knee specialist or call us at (404) 847-9999.