Learn about the symptoms, causes, self-check and treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
It is one of the most common joint conditions: as cartilage wears down with age,
bone rubs against bone and causes severe pain.
It is divided into primary (idiopathic) osteoarthritis, caused by factors such as age, sex,
obesity and genetics, and secondary osteoarthritis, caused by overuse,
sudden injury or other diseases.
01
Knee pain lasting more than 6 months
02
Severe pain when walking, running or using stairs
03
The joint is swollen and hurts when pressed
04
The legs bow into an O shape, or you walk with your toes pointing outward
05
Pain is severe enough to keep you from sleeping well at night
Degenerative changes in the joint due to aging
Cartilage damage or destruction
in the joint caused by injury
Factors such as age, sex, obesity
and genetics
Repetitive, excessive use of the joint
Damage from bacterial or tuberculous arthritis
My knees hurt for 2–3 days after I walk a lot.
My knees hurt when I go up or down stairs.
My knees hurt when I sit down and stand up.
When I stop after walking, my knees suddenly feel weak, as if they might give way.
My knees swell after I walk a lot.
When I stand at attention, the gap between my knees is wider than a fist.
When I sit with my legs stretched out, the backs of my knees do not touch the floor.
In severe cases, the condition can be identified from an X-ray alone. As the cartilage wears away, the space between the bones narrows, so the X-ray shows a narrowed joint space; as the disease progresses, bone spurs form along the edges of the knee. Loose bodies (bone fragments) may float inside the knee, and bone cysts (holes inside the bone) may form. In less severe cases, detailed tests such as MRI can show exactly how much cartilage has worn away.
TREATMENT
Knee osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage protecting the knee joint is damaged or wears away through age-related degeneration. Symptoms generally become more severe as the cartilage wears down, and the condition is classified into stages 1 to 4 according to the degree of wear.
Stage 1 is usually called early, stages 2–3 intermediate, and stage 4 end-stage osteoarthritis.
Knee osteoarthritis can be divided into stages 1–4 according to its progression and symptoms, and a different treatment can be applied at each stage.
Stage 1
The knee cartilage thins and cracks form
Stage 2
Bone spurs form; narrowing of the joint space is suspected.
Stage 3
Multiple bone spurs; in some areas the cartilage is completely worn away, exposing the bone
Stage 4
The cartilage covering the knee is almost entirely gone over a wide area
In most cases, 2–3 weeks of non-surgical treatment such as medication, physical therapy and pain injections brings improvement.
If not, treatment moves on to injection therapy and manual therapy.
[Medication]
Anti-inflammatory painkillers and muscle relaxants relieve pain and make it easier to continue physical therapy.
[Injection Therapy]
Steroids or trigger point injections (TPI) are injected into the area causing muscle pain to relax tight muscles.
[Physical Therapy]
Uses heat, air, light, electricity, ultrasound and other methods to restore function around the painful area and support rehabilitation.
[Manual Therapy]
A form of physical therapy performed by hand by a specially trained manual therapist, based on knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.
[Shockwave Therapy (ESWT)]
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy treats musculoskeletal pain from outside the body using a device that generates shockwaves.
Surgery is the last resort. Before considering surgery,
we provide customized procedures based on each patient's condition and circumstances.
[Prolotherapy]
A high-concentration dextrose solution, harmless to the body, is injected directly into weakened ligaments or tendons.
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A non-surgical treatment that combines prolotherapy (proliferation therapy) with FIMS (Functional Intramuscular Stimulation).
Learn MoreSurgery may be considered for patients whose pain persists despite adequate treatment or who arrive in an emergency condition; the surgical approach and expected outcome are decided in consultation with a specialist.
[Knee Arthroscopy]
A small opening of less than 1 cm is made over the affected joint, and a thin tube with a tiny camera is inserted to diagnose and treat the problem.
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[High Tibial Osteotomy]
Surgery that corrects the angle of a knee that has become bowed (O-shaped) due to osteoarthritis.
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[Stem Cell Cartilage Regeneration]
Growth factors are extracted from stem cells, separated and concentrated, then injected or implanted into the damaged cartilage to stimulate cartilage regeneration and relieve pain.
[Total Knee Replacement]
Surgery that removes the damaged cartilage and replaces it with a metal artificial joint that is safe for the body.
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