Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Anatomy and Physiology of the Knee Joint – A Tool to Better Understand Osteoarthritis of the Knee

In our aim of understanding what osteoarthritis of the knee is, it would be essential that we know a little of the anatomy and physiology of the knee. With the simple glance of our naked eye, we may think that the knee joint is just as simple as it looks; however, contrary to what we may assume, the knee joint is considered to be one of the most complex joints found in the human body. The knee is made up of four bones, including the femur, which is the longest bone in our body; the tibia and fibula, which are parallel to each other; and the patella or commonly known as the knee cap.

Within each joint, there is a smooth fibrous connective called the articular cartilage. This articular cartilage lines the bones that contact each other to act as a shock absorber to provide a smoother motion of each joint. In addition to this, the joint also has a synovial membrane that produces synovial fluids for the lubrication of the joint.

When this articular cartilage is damaged, then its shock absorbing function would be disrupted, and this is when osteoarthritis of the knee would arise.

Osteoarthritis of The Knee

What is osteoarthritis of the knee?

Osteoarthritis of the knee, also known as degenerative joint disease, is a condition where there is degeneration of the articular cartilage, the shock absorber as earlier mentioned. Usually older people, especially women, are more at risk to such a joint disease. However, young and active individuals, particularly athletes, who are into extreme physical sports, such as basketball, soccer, football or rugby are also prone to have such a condition.

Overweight people are also susceptible to have osteoarthritis because of the impact of their weight on the weight-bearing joints, such as the knee.

The Causes of Osteoarthritis of the Knee

In actuality, the exact etiology of osteoarthritis is unknown, but studies have shown that there are several factors that may be linked to the onset of osteoarthritis. Many institutions or facilities who have made some research believe that the risk of having osteoarthritis of the knee is increased when the individual has sustained previous traumatic injury or injuries to the knee.

Heredity also plays a role because individuals with defective genes for cartilage production have increased susceptibility to osteoarthritis. Excessive impact on the weight-bearing joints may also make the progression of the disease process faster. For many, the result of the repetitive use or constant loading on the joints over a significant duration may also result to the development of osteoarthritis.

The Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee would most of the time cause deep aching joint pain, morning stiffness, joint inflammation and tenderness, limitation of motion, and joint swelling. The deep aching joint pain may, most of the time, occur in association with a cracking sound, called crepitation.

The morning stiffness would occur immediately from the time you wake up, and it would last for about half-an-hour or until the joints are moved and warmed up. The joint inflammation, tenderness or swelling, on the other hand, may be present throughout the day.

Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the knee

Everyone must be aware that osteoarthritis of the knee cannot be cured, and it can progress in the passage of time. However, people do not have to worry that much because there are ways to control the symptoms, as well as ways to slow down the disease progression. You can take over-the-counter drugs, such as Tylenol, ibuprofen or naproxen.

You can also ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist, massage therapist or acupuncturist. If all of these conservative managements would fail, your primary treating physician may recommend surgery of the knee joint. To avoid experiencing all these debilitating symptoms, one must always bear in mind that prevention is the most effective way of treating osteoarthritis of the knee.