The Impact of Knee Osteoarthritis and Its Toll on Mobility

What is Knee Osteoarthritis?

Knee osteoarthritis is a progressive knee joint disease. It is among the most common forms of arthritis. 

There are two forms of knee osteoarthritis: primary and secondary.

Primary knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of knee osteoarthritis. It is often called "wear and tear" arthritis, as the natural aging process and cumulative stress on the knee joint over time primarily cause it. However, the exact cause of primary knee osteoarthritis is still not fully understood.

Secondary knee osteoarthritis is caused by an underlying infection, malformation, disease, or traumatic injury. 

The condition develops when the cartilage that pads the ends of the bones in the knee joint wears away over time. This cartilage erosion leads to pain, stiffness, and swelling. When left untreated, the knee cartilage will wear away significantly, leading to joint space loss. Joint space loss is when the bones rub together without a cushioning mechanism, causing debilitating pain and loss of motion. 

Cartilage can erode for numerous reasons, including the following:

• Repeated stress on the knees
• Inflammatory joint disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout
• Genetic predisposition
• Advancing age
• Obesity

While there is no cure for knee osteoarthritis, the condition can be managed effectively through non-surgical interventions.

What are Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms?

Knee osteoarthritis symptoms are degenerative, meaning they become increasingly intense and disruptive. Signs include the following:

• Knee pain
• Knee stiffness
• Knee instability
• Knee swelling
• Cracking or grating sensation when flexing the knee joints

How Knee Osteoarthritis Affects Overall Health

Continual knee pain and stiffness can make mobility difficult, sometimes to such an extent that patients can no longer perform routine work tasks or daily activities.

Patients with unaddressed knee osteoarthritis are more likely to become sedentary, which raises the risk of developing heart disease, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure. Moreover, many patients experience negative psychological effects of limited mobility, including social disengagement, isolation, and depression.

How do I know if I Have Knee Osteoarthritis?

If you have knee instability, pain, stiffness, or reduced motion, you don’t have to struggle with debilitating symptoms. The team at Texas Knee Institute can help.

Please don’t hesitate to schedule an evaluation with the specialists at Texas Knee Institute to determine whether your knee symptoms are caused by osteoarthritis.

In addition to taking a thorough physical examination, we will capture X-ray images of your knees, allowing us to visualize the internal structure of your knee joints and determine the extent of cartilage loss and other abnormalities. If necessary, we might recommend magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help us design the optimum course of treatment.

What are the Risk Factors for Knee Osteoarthritis?

Here are several issues that might raise the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knees:

• Being over the age of 50
• High body mass index (BMI)
• Previous injury or injuries to the knee joints
• Continual repeated stress on the knees from work or athletic activities
• Genetic factors
• Skeletal anomalies
• Metabolic syndrome (high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure)

Enduring the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis can be difficult and sometimes upsetting, but targeted treatment can significantly alleviate symptoms and enhance mobility.

If you have knee osteoarthritis-related pain, stiffness, or inflammation, please don't hesitate to contact the caring specialists at Texas Knee Institute at 469-341-5997713-575-3686713-575-3686 (Houston) or 469-341-5997 (Dallas). We offer advanced minimally invasive interventions that achieve excellent long-term outcomes for patients struggling with knee pain.