Arthritis on the knee or osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease and is characterized by progressive loss of joint cartilage. Besides age, some risk factors for osteoarthritis are:
* being a woman (gender)
* genes – if your parents are suffering from it now, chances are great that you’ll have it, too
* obesity – being overweight presents challenges to the joint because of weight bearing load
* joint trauma – injury can lead to arthritis on the knee
* inflammatory joint diseases – other inflammatory problem can manifest themselves as arthritis on the knee, too
* metabolic diseases – and other endocrine disorder will have an effect on inflammation and swelling
Osteoarthritis can be classified as primary, which is also called idiopathic arthritis on the knee and secondary which is due to other related risk factors. Obesity, in addition to being a risk factor for arthritis on the knee, increases the pain and discomfort of the disease. Arthritis on the knee peaks between the fifth and sixth decades of life.
Arthritis on the knee has different clinical manifestations or symptoms. The most common is pain, followed by stiffness and the inability to move. These symptoms are considered the primary and major clinical manifestations arthritis on the knee. Stiffness, more commonly experienced in the morning, usually disappears as the day goes on because of the body’s increasing movement.
Functional impairment in arthritis on the knee is due to pain on movement and limited joint motion when structural changes develop. Arthritis on the knee occurs most often in weight- bearing joints like the hips, knees, cervical and lumbar spine. In addition, the finger joints are also affected. There will also be involvement of the bony nodes, this is painless unless if it is inflamed.
When it comes to the diagnostic findings, X-ray studies show narrowing of joint space at the joint margins and on the subchondral bone. These two findings are sensitive and specific to arthritis on the knee. Serum or blood studies are not useful in the diagnosis of this disorder.
If you want conservative measures for the management of knee arthritis, you can choose the application of heat which causes vasodilation and reduces pain and inflammation on the joints. Losing weight, joint rest and avoidance of joint overuse are helpful, too. You may also use orthotic devices such as sprints and braces to support the inflamed joints.
Exercises like isometric exercises, postural exercises and aerobic exercises will be helpful to avoid joint disuse and will greatly relieve pain in arthritis on the knee. Other surgical management such as tidal irrigation, osteotomy and joint arthroplasty might also be included in the management of arthritis on the knee
The role of the healthcare team include, but is not limited to, assisting patient with obesity management and other weight loss control programs, encouraging increase aerobic activity, referring patient to a physical therapist or to a suitable exercise program and providing and encouraging use of canes or other assistive devices for ambulation.
Managing pain and optimizing functional ability are the major goals for the management of arthritis on the knee. Helping patients understand their disease process and symptom pattern is critical to the care plan of this disease condition.