Knee pain may not seem like an issue as most people think it is commonly happen in elders. The pain is usually left for many years until a person is unable to walk or having some difficulties for the walk. However, the knee joint in our body is the largest organ that has a responsibility of carrying the body weight includes making our bodies move easily for activities. When some problems occur to the joint, they can cause many following difficulties such as limitation of body moving which affects the person’s everyday life including both physical and mental health.

What is cause of Knee Arthritis?

Most knee pain or knee arthritis are caused by osteoarthritis, especially in patients who are older than 50. However, the osteoarthritis actually occurs when the cartilage degeneration in knee is happened. The cause of the degeneration is started when the bones locating next to the joints create friction. Accordingly the bone later become deteriorated, for that reason, leg pain or walking in pain may affect a person until he is unable to move the body easily.

Factors that stimulate the Arthritis

• • Age : Older age has high chance of a disease as the joint used for a longer time comparing to young people.

• • Gender : Women are most likely to have the arthritis twice of men due to hormone that cause obesity and longer times of spending life. Thus, females tend to live longer which creates more opportunities of using knees. In addition, women with obesity hormone may cause the knee to bear a lot of weight.

• • Weight : People with heavy body weight have a greater chance of osteoarthritis than those with a lower body weight.

• • Behavior : Those who are sitting, kneeling or standing for a long time. The knee will deteriorate faster than others.

• • The athlete : Knee injury caused by collision during game.

• • Accident : Injuries that occurs to the knee as well as knee fractures and knee tendon rupture.

• Muscular and Bone Strength: In those who do not exercise, their knee muscles and bones will easily be deteriorated.

Signs of Osteoarthritis

• • Moving knees up and down uncomfortably due to the pain.

• • Having a crack sound of the knee while climbing, walking up or down stairs including while bending the knees.

• Taking pain relief over 3 months but symptoms still remains with no improvement.

Significant Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

During the first stage of the symptoms, slight knee pain and the friction will appear. However, while moving your body, a crack sound may happen. That can be more painful when your body is moved in different postures, such as, walking. In fact, the pain decreases after the postures are stopped. If a person still does not receive a treatment, this pain will gradually increase its severity according to the friction. Moreover, on account of mentioned reason, theses following symptoms will be showing: loose knee ligament that causes you to fail, bowlegs, cracking sounds as well as stretch inability. For all causes, patients may require joint removal procedure provided by orthopedic surgeon in order that you can receive effective diagnosis as well as treatment.

Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis

The doctor will evaluate the history of illness, at the same time, observation provided by the doctor will be done by seeing patients walk or seeing them during physical examination, this also include the screening of knee muscle, shape as well as leg muscles around the knee. In addition, inflammation, swelling, redness, swelling of the joints, bending, stretching and cracking sound will be screened and observed through CT scan or MRI.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis

There are many ways to cure degenerative knee joint depending on the symptoms and its stage. The target is to reduce knee pain and slow down the disease severity along with restoration of knee function and complications prevention. These can provide patients with good quality of life. However, the treatments are as follows:

• • Medication; The doctor will provide the drug to reduce inflammation and pain. If patients take it for a long time, they may be harmed by side effects such as gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, the use of drugs should be under prescription.

• Knee Replacement Surgery; At present, people with severe knee osteoarthritis usually select this treatment. The surgery requires the knee skin removal for new skin replacement. During the procedure the surgeon would adjust skin tension and flexibility of tissues around the knee to make sure whether its shape remains normal as well as position for inserting the artificial knee as this helps reduce the pain and cure the symptoms. A new knee then could be more stable and works better than the deteriorated one. After the surgery, patients can live their life normally without being burden of someone in a house.

However, The doctor will always plan and provide patients an appropriate treatment by considering the health and severity of the disease. Normally, patients after having the operation can be able to walk within 24 hours and rest in a hospital several days before returning home. In addition, after doing physical therapy they all cured and walk normally within short time for their recovering which means having this way of treatment is safe and harmless to every patient.

Dr. Thanainit Chotanaphuti
Outpatient Department, Orthopedic Center
สอบถามข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม
Phyathai 1 Hospital
Tel. +662-201-4600