Osteoarthritis of Knee
Osteoarthritis of knee
OA of the knee is the most common joint disease. It occurs when cartilages outlining the knee joint progressively breaks down. This causes a decrease in cushioning of the knee joint, hence the bones rub against each other, which further causes pain and limitations in daily activities.
Causes of OA:
Almost 46% people tend to suffer osteoarthritis, out of which females are more prone to suffer than males. It occurs when cartilages get damaged, ligaments torn down and bones rub each other.
The most common causes are –
1. Overweight – 1 kg hike in weight puts 4 times more pressure on knee joints. So if BMI is more than 30, hence pressure on knees drastically increases.
2. Injury – falls, direct hit to knee joint etc causes increases the chances of OA.
3. Knock knees – whether congenital or acquired, knock knees increase chances of OA.
4. Overuse or repeated joint strain.
Symptoms of OA
1. Stiffness in knee.
2. Swelling in the knee.
3. Crepitus or cracking sounds in the knee.
4. Pain in knees while doing activities.
5. Pain in climbing upstairs.
Stages of knee Osteoarthritis –
1. Stage 1 (minor)– wear and tear starts in knee joint, cartilage is healthy.
2. Stage 2 (mild) – pain and stiffness starts
3. Stage 3 (moderate) – more wear and tear in cartilage, joint space reduces, osteophytes start appearing. Pain increases.
4. Stage 4 (severe) – 60% of the cartilage is lost. Joint space greatly reduced. Severe pain in activities.
How to diagnose osteoarthritis –
Physical examination along with investigations help to rule out osteoarthritis. Patients should look for the following signs-
1. Swelling over joint
2. Redness over joint
3. Increased localised temperature.
4. Crepitus in joint
5. Limited range of motion.
6. Inability to lock knees.
X rays are the confirmatory test for osteoarthritis, showing decreased joint space.
Hence, osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, which generally tends to occur as age advances and after repetitive knee injuries.