It is a common problem that affects your knee joint leading to its inflammation or degeneration and thus causing swelling, pain and difficult movement of joints. The cartilage is the coating at the end of the bone part which serves as a cushion & keeps the knee joint smooth while bending & straightening. Some joints have a synovial membrane, filled with fluid that lubricates the joints for better movement.
There are more than 99+ types of arthritis. The two most common types of knee arthritis are Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid Arthritis.
TYPES OF ARTHRITIS:
OSTEOARTHRITIS:
Also called wear & tear arthritis and is the most common type. Osteoarthritis is age-related degeneration and occurs when the natural cushioning of joint cartilage breaks down from repeated stress & the ends of bones rub against each other resulting in pain, swelling, stiffness, and difficult movement of the joint.Commonly occurs in the knee joint in Indian population.
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS:
This is an inflammatory autoimmune disease. Rheumatoid Arthritis can occur in any age group.It causes inflammation of the synovial membrane, the capsule membrane that surrounds the knee joint. The inflammatory cells developed due to the immune response release substances that break down knee cartilage over time. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people even at young age.
POST-TRAUMATIC KNEE ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis can also occur after an injury, where tearing of the cartilage occurs. Torn meniscus, ligament injury, bone fracture or any knee damage results in traumatic arthritis.
SYMPTOMS OF KNEE ARTHRITIS:
- Knee pain
- Crepitus or Clicking noises
- Joint stiffness
- Knee buckling
- Swelling
- Warm skin
In Arthritis, you may notice the pain or stiffness while waking up in the morning or when you are inactive for a time period. If you wake up from your sleep due to knee pain then it might be a symptom of Osteoarthritis.
The symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis start with smaller joints in the body where it affects both the sides of the body & the joint in Rheumatoid Arthritis gets warm & red with the pain.
RISK FACTORS FOR KNEE ARTHRITIS:
- Old Age
- Obesity
- Joint injuries
- Repeated stress on the joint
- Genetics
- Bone deformities
- Certain metabolic diseases
HOW TO DIAGNOSE KNEE ARTHRITIS?
If you feel like you have knee arthritis & you experience the above signs & symptoms then go to your healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis. He will require the following:
- Medical History
- Physical Examination
- Imaging- Includes X-Ray, MRI & CT-Scans
These should reveal:
- Any changes in your bones.
- Muscle, ligament or tendon injuries near your joints
- Cartilage breakdown in your joint.
- Bone spurs
- Reduction in the space between the two bones.
- Blood Test
There is no blood test that can directly detect arthritis. But if your healthcare provider suspects gout or Rheumatoid Arthritis, they may order it to look for uric acid or inflammatory proteins. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systemic disease that affects the whole body & the part of joints whereas Osteoarthritis directly impacts the affected joints in the body.
TREATMENT FOR ARTHRITIS
Arthritis can not be cured but there are treatments that can manage the pain and problems caused by it. These depend upon the severity of your arthritis, its symptoms & your overall health condition
CAN CONSERVATIVE OR NON- SURGICAL TREATMENTS HELP IN ARTHRITIS?
- Medication: Anti-inflammatory and pain killers may help relieve your arthritis symptoms like pain, swelling, stiffness etc. Some medications, called can target your immune system’s inflammatory response also & can reduce the severity of the condition.
- Physical therapy: Rehabilitation can help improve strength, range of motion and overall mobility of your joints and muscles. Therapists can teach you how to adjust your daily activities to lessen arthritic pain.
WHAT ARE YOUR SURGICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS?
There are cases that are beyond the treatment with a conservative approach and cause difficulty in your day-to-day activities, leading to the deterioration of the quality of your life. They are treated with a surgical approach using a unique technique called R2R Technique or Replacement to Resurfacing developed by Dr. Dhiraj Marothi Jain. The key point of this technique is that it resurfaces only the damaged part of your knee and places a cap over it. This results in quicker recovery, better movement and best results for a patient of joint replacement surgery.
- Total Knee Replacement: It is performed to resurface the bones in the knee joint with artificial implant caps to provide long-term stability, better movement, balance & pain reduction.
- Partial Knee Replacement/resurfacing: It is done to address the cartilage damage in a small part of the knee. This surgery can be done when the damage is confined to a particular compartment of the knee.
A NOTE FROM RACE KNEE CLINIC:
Don’t limit your life & restrict your movements because of knee pain. There are ways with which you can manage your arthritis and enjoy those lively moments again which were once taken back by that pain & discomfort. We are RACE KNEE CLINIC, situated in the heart of Ahmedabad City with STATE-OF-ART Technology to deliver INTERNATIONAL STANDARD HEALTHCARE & HUMAN CARE.
We are also there with you for OPD Consultation in the following cities:
- Surat
- Ahmedabad
- Kolkata
- Jaipur
- Bikaner
- Jodhpur
- Pali
- Udaipur
- Nokha
- Raipur
- Guwahati