Knee

A knee joint affected by arthritis has following symptoms. The pain develops gradually over time, grinding sensation in the knee, loss of joint spaceand poor range of motion.

Mild to moderate pain can be relieved by medications like NSAIDs, icing and hot water fermentation along with physiotherapy to strengthen the musculature surrounding the knee. Moderate to severe pain that hampers daily activities needs attention from the Orthopaedist.

Signs and symptoms that sometimes accompany knee pain include:

• Swelling 
• Stiffness
• Warmth on touch
• Redness
• Weakness or instability
• Crepitus noises
• Inability to fully straighten the knee
• Difficulty weight bearing

The wear and tear of the cartilage leads to friction between the two bones leading to osteoarthritis(OA). OA is one of the most common reasons for knee pain. Trauma, bursitis(inflammation caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee)chondromalacia patella(damaged cartilage under the kneecap). gout: arthritis caused by the buildup of uric acid. Ligament injuries also cause knee pain.

The risk factors are:

• Excess weight. Increases the stress on knee joints.. It also increases the risk of osteoarthritis by increasing the breakdown of joint cartilage.
• Lack of muscle flexibility or strength: makes the knee vulnerable to injuries due to the pressure on the bones and ligaments. Strong muscles help stabilize and protect the joints, and muscle flexibility helps achieve full range of motion.
• Some sports put greater stress on the knees than others
• Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that one can injure the knee again.

The following tips may help prevent knee pain:

• Excess weight adds more strain on the joints, increasing the risk of injuries and osteoarthritis.
• Strength and conditioning training with an instructor or physiotherapist will not only strengthen the muscles around the knee but also prevent injuries that are likely to occur if the position of exercise being done is incorrect.
• Functional training that is practice of the technique and movement patterns used in sports or activity will strengthen the muscles and prevent injuries.
• Balance training helps the muscles around the knees.
• Low-impact activities like swimming, water aerobics prevent knee pain as well 

The most common Knee injuries include fractures around the knee joint, tear of soft tissues like ligaments, meniscus, tendons, dislocation.

The ACL(anterior cruciate ligament) connects the thighbone to the shinbone, at the knee. This ligament prevent instability in the knee. The ligament gets stretched or tears when the firmly planted foot twists or pivots at the same time on a locked knee(straight knee). It may tear whilst playing high demand sports or an accident.

The articular cartilage is often damaged at the time of the ACL tear. If left untreated, it will wear at the knee, causing an increased rate of osteoarthritis development.

Very minor tears (sprains) may heal with conservative treatment involving medications and physiotherapy. But full blown ACL tears may not heal without surgery. 

Knee replacement is a surgical procedure to remove and replace the damaged and diseased part of the knee with a prosthetic knee(artificial metal knee). During a total knee replacement, the lower end of the femur(thigh) bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The upper end of the Shin bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a plastic piece with a metal stem.

The pain post knee replacement surgery is no more arthritic but due to the incision wound healing and swelling. The pain tends to settle in a few days.

Usually this surgery is performed for the people in the age group of 60-80. But it may depend on the intensity of knee pain and disability as well.

• Fortis Hospital
• PD Hinduja Hospital
• Manipal Hospitals
• Apollo Hospitals
• Max Hospitals
• Columbia Asia Hospitals
• Sakra Hospital
• Indraprastha Apollo Hospital
• Shalby Hospitals
• Artemis Hospitals