As we age, many of us develop knee pain.  One of the most common knee conditions is Osteoarthritis – slow degeneration of the cartilage of the knee. 

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

The symptoms of osteoarthritis are:

• Gradual onset of stiffness in the joint, especially after sitting for a period of time or lying down
• Difficulty bending and straightening the knee
• Swelling and pain when first moving the knees, sitting, or kneeling
• In more severe cases, the size of the knee may become larger

As we get older, joints in the body age and deteriorate. This starts as early as our twenties, and is more common when we are past forty.  Historically, the body was designed to get us to between age forty and fifty. Prior to the onset of modern medicine roughly 150 years ago, disease, trauma, and natural conditions like heart problems killed us by age fifty.  So as we age, there is increasing wear from normal use and trauma on our joints including our knees.  Weight also often increases as we age and further stresses weight bearing joints.

Factors & Signs

Factors that contribute to osteoarthritis development are:

• Age
• Trauma
• Weight
• Genetic tendency (some families may be more prone to its occurrence)

In the doctor’s office, when we examine a knee with osteoarthritis, we usually see a large knee, maybe slightly swollen but not warm, and stiff to move.  Plain X-rays will reveal a large joint, often with narrowing of the joint space especially on the inside aspect, and the joint surfaces may appear to be irregular from deterioration.

Read our follow up blog on the treatment options for Osteoarthritis.