Knee Arthritis - What is It?

Arthritis is a common problem. The important thing to note is that there are many different types of arthritis. Some such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (also known as RA) are systematic, which means they affect organs as well the joints within the body. However, by far the most common type of arthritis is "osteoarthritis," also known as OA.

The term "osteo" means bone. So basically osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the cartilage on the ends of the bones that make up a joint within the body. In arthritis, the cartilage becomes "thin" rather than being nice and thick. Therefore, if excessive load or pressure is placed on the joint with "thin" cartilage, the possibility of pain and dysfunction is high.

So what actually causes pain in the condition of arthritis? Well, an interesting thing to note is that the "cartilage" actually lacks a nerve supply; however, structures such as the periosteum, ligaments, capsule, synovium and burse which surround the joint do. Researchers postulate that it is actually these structures that cause arthritic pain. However, the primary reason for this is the excessive load placed on the "thin" cartilage. Unfortunately, despite loads of research, the actual cause or etiology of knee osteoarthritis is still unknown.

People who experience pain and dysfunction of osteoarthritis should understand the basics of the disease, take pain medication if necessary, loss weight if overweight, and ensure they perform basic exercises to maintain both the strength and flexibility within the joint. It is also important to decrease load or pressure placed on the joint. Activities such as jogging & jumping place excessive load on both the knee and hip while walking places "less pressure or load" on these joints.

X rays or a film taken in weight bearing helps to define the extent of the OA. It is important to discuss any X ray findings with your GP or local medical practitioner. It is always important to rule out more serious pathology. One must also be aware that the X ray findings often do not match a patients symptoms. Ie You may look at a film and see "lots of knee osteoarthritis" but the person may not be experiencing any pain or dysfunction.

The prognosis for arthritis is a sequential progression of the disease over time. It is essential that people have knowledge and understanding of their condition in order to put strategies in place to deal with it. Many people are able to continue to live a normal life albeit with some lifestyle modifications. However, if the knee osteoarthritis disease progresses and quality of life is significantly affected, a joint replacement then becomes a viable option.