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KNEE PAIN AND ARTHRITIS
About Knee Pain and Arthritis
The most frequent cause of debilitating knee pain is arthritis. It is estimated that 70 million people in the United States have some form of arthritis-that's one in every seven people or one in every three families.
Of more than 100 types of arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and trauma-related arthritis are the most common causes of joint damage.
Osteoarthritis is a disease which involves the wearing away of the normal smooth joint surfaces. This results in bone-on-bone contact, producing pain and stiffness.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease because it may attack any or all joints in the body. Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis causes destruction of the joint by severe inflammation. The body's immune system attacks and destroys the synovial lining covering the joint capsule, the protective cartilage and the joint surface, causing pain, swelling, joint damage and loss of mobility.
Trauma-related arthritis results from damage to the joint from a previous injury. It is the third most common form of arthritis. It also results in joint damage, pain and loss of mobility.
When debilitating pain and stiffness in your knee limit your daily activities, you may need knee resurfacing or total knee replacement. More than one million people in the United States annually undergo knee and knee replacement surgery to relieve pain and stiffness and restore mobility.
When conservative methods of treatment (pain medications, physical therapy etc.) fail to provide adequate relief, knee replacement surgery may be a good option for you. Knee replacement surgery helps relieve pain and allow patients to perform activities that may have been limited due to knee pain.
