Osteoarthritis of the Knee (Knee Arthritis): "Degenerative Joint Disease" can cause pain, stiffness, and cartilage breakdown.
Edited By: Seth S. Leopold, M.D.
Last updated Monday, January 14, 2008
SymptomsWhat parts of the body does knee arthritis affect? Osteoarthritis of the knee occurs when the joint surface
cartilage (also called hyaline cartilage, or articular cartilage) becomes worn
away, leaving the raw bone beneath exposed. The cartilage normally serves as a
“pad” or a bearing in the joint, and under normal conditions, the cartilage
bearing is even slicker than a hockey puck on ice. When the bearing wears away,
the result is a roughed joint surface that causes the pain and stiffness that
people associate with osteoarthritis.What are some initial warning signs of knee arthritis? Pain, swelling, and stiffness are the main symptoms of
knee arthritis. When it becomes more advanced, joint deformity (knock-knees or
bow-legs) can occur.What are symptoms of knee arthritis? Pain, stiffness, swelling, and joint deformity are the
symptoms of arthritis of the knee.How do the symptoms of knee arthritis change over time? Early in the course of arthritis, the symptoms can be
intermittent, perhaps related only to particular activities or sustained
activity. At that point, usually rest and avoiding the precipitating activity
will improve the symptoms.
As the arthritis worsens, the symptoms can become more
persistent or more severe, such that simply walking on level ground can result
in pain.
When
arthritis is severe, the pain with activities can linger even after the
activity stops, such that the knee can remain painful even after one stops
walking.What conditions have similar sympoms or might be confused with knee arthritis? Other forms of arthritis can cause similar symptoms to
osteoarthritis of the knee; in particular, post-traumatic arthritis and
post-meniscectomy arthritis are almost indistinguishable in many cases from
osteoarthritis of the knee.
Rheumatoid arthritis, the next most common cause of
arthritis, can also affect the knee. It tends to cause other joints to be
involved, and often causes more of an inflammatory set of symptoms (swelling
and warmth, as well as pain), and can in fact effect other organ systems as
well.
The
diagnosis of osteoarthritis versus rheumatoid arthritis can be made by a
physician with experience in treating conditions of this type. Surgery for Knee Arthritis at the University of Washington If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call the Bone & Joint Surgery Center at 206-598-3354 or Eastside Specialty Clinic at 425-646-7777 to make an appointment.
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