Knee Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a thinning of the cartilage around a joint.

Signs and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include pain, swelling, or cracking in the knee. This is often worse with kneeling or going up and down stairs. Pain can be exacerbated by changes with weather.

Initial evaluation of knee osteoarthritis includes a medical history, physical examination, and x-rays. X-rays will show joint space narrowing and possibly bone spurs.

Treatment for knee osteoarthritis is symptom based. Initial treatment of knee osteoarthritis includes weight loss, stretching, low-impact activity, anti- inflammatory creams or medications, and glucosamine and chondroitin. Joint injections may also be considered which include corticosteroids or viscosupplements.

If symptoms are more severe partial or total knee replacement may be considered. The majority of knee replacements are done as an inpatient surgery and expected recovery is several months to pain free walking.