Understanding Knee Arthritis

If you suffer from knee pain, it’s possible you have arthritis. Knee arthritis is caused by the deterioration of the bone lining in the knee joint called cartilage.

The two most common types of knee arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Other causes are trauma, avascular necrosis or loss of blood supply to the knee joint, and prior knee surgery.

Osteoarthritis

The most common type of knee arthritis is osteoarthritis which is wear and tear.

Osteoarthritis is a progressive, degenerative disease in which the cartilage of the knee slowly wears away. Cartilage serves as insulation between the bones of the joint, and when the cartilage of the knee joint wears away due to osteoarthritis, the resulting pain and inflammation can be debilitating.

Your chances of osteoarthritis of the knee increase with age; the condition most often affects middle-aged and older people. Osteoarthritis may first appear between the ages of 30 and 40, although symptoms may not be present in the early stages. By the age of 70, almost everyone will have some degree of this type of knee arthritis.

Causes
The question of what causes osteoarthritis of the knee has not been answered. Prior knee injuries seem to increase the likelihood of osteoarthritis, but many people with knee arthritis have never had a serious knee injury. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, and many people have a genetic predisposition to this chronic disease.

Symptoms
The primary symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain in the knee as well as swelling and stiffness joint.

In the early stages of osteoarthritis the pain may be mainly associated with activity. As the cartilage wears away and the bones rub against each other, pain can become more severe and constant, interfering with regular daily activities and disrupting sleep.

Treatment
In the early stages of osteoarthritis, treatment may involve several techniques.

Behavioral and lifestyle changes including losing weight and changing routines to avoid painful situations can be very effective in relieving pain.

Pain medications such as Tylenol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or Naproxen (Aleve) may also provide relief from pain.

Physical therapy may improve muscle strength and joint mobility, reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knee.

Bracing may correct malalignment.

Joint fluid therapy such as oral glucosamine or injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) may lubricate the knee and reduce the pain and swelling of the joint. A corticosteroid injection may also be used to reduce pain; in this procedure an anti-inflammatory agent is injected directly into the joint.

Arthroscopy or partial or total knee replacement surgery may be necessary as the disease progresses and daily functioning becomes more impaired.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid knee arthritis involves inflammation of the lining of the joint, known as the synovium. Though less common than osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is among the most debilitating of the over one hundred forms of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis usually develops in middle age, but may occur in the 20s and 30s.

Causes
The exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown. It’s possible that a virus or bacteria may trigger the disease in people with a genetic predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis. Many doctors think rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the tissue of the joint’s lining is attacked by the body’s immune system. It’s also possible that rheumatoid arthritis is caused by severe stress. The disease sometimes occurs after a life-changing event such as divorce, loss of a job or a severe injury.

Symptoms
The primary symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain and swelling in the joints and difficulty moving. Other symptoms may include loss of appetite, fever, loss of energy, anemia, and rheumatoid nodules (lumps of tissue under the skin).

Treatment
Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis usually involves medications such as NSAIDs, aspirin and analgesics. In severe cases, surgery may be indicated to replace the knee joint with an artificial joint.