KNEE ARTHRITIS

Knee pain can be a result of a multitude of things. 

It can be from:

1. Arthritis
2. Cartilage damage
3. Meniscal damage
4. Ligament damage
5. Soft tissue pain

We're going to focus this section on knee arthritis. 

The causes of knee arthritis are multi factorial:

1. Overuse
2. Traumatic
3. From injury. 
4. Underlying medical problems such as:
   Rheumatoid arthritis
   Avascular necrosis
   Lupus, etc.

Symptoms include most commonly:

1. Pain
2. Loss of function -
   Reduction in activity levels
   Inability to walk for prolonged periods of time
   Sense of instability where the knee gives out expectedly. 

Physical findings associated with knee arthritis include:

1. Flexion contracture
2. Decrease in range of motion
3. Pain about the knee
4. Oftentimes an increasing in the bowing deformity of the knee. 

All patients with knee arthritis need to undergo a complete lower extremity examination which includes making sure the nerves work as well as the vessels, and that there is adequate blood flow to the lower extremities, thus assuring that the patient would tolerate surgery if necessary. 

Treatment Options begin with conservative management, including:

1. Bracing anti-inflammatories, injections
2. Activity modification
3. Physical therapy

Surgical options are varied and can include:

1. Focal cartilage replacement, also known as osteoarticular transplant
2. Larder cartilage replacement, known as ACI
3. Meniscal transplants for people who have had meniscectomie
4. Osteotomies, which realign the bone to allow the weight of the body to fall through a more normal area of the knee
5. Half-knee replacements
6. Complete knee replacements