Osteoarthritis of the knee or degenerative wear is the most frequent cause of knee pain. Two key components are
- Friction of the bone ends
- Breakdown of the joint cartilage
Incidence
- Most common joint problem world-over
- Seen in 80% Indian population above 60 years of age
Risk factors for osteoarthritis
- Elderly age
- Obesity
- Excessive Squatting and Sitting cross legged
- Heavy physical work
Stages of osteoarthritis
- Early
- Moderate
- Late or Advanced arthritis
Symptoms
- Knee pain
- Restriction of movements and activities of daily living
- Difficulty in sitting cross legged, squatting, using indian toilet, climbing stairs and walking for long distance
Treatment
Early and Moderate stage arthritis
- Pain relieving and disease specific medications
- Life style modifications
- Weight reduction
- Regular exercises
- Physiotherapy
- Intra-articular injections
- End stage arthritis
- Joint replacement surgery