Deformities such as knock knee and bowleg place higher than normal stress on certain parts of the knee joint and can wear away cartilage in those areas. While the cause of rheumatoid arthritis remains unknown, triggers of autoimmune diseases are still an area of active investigation. Postmenopausal women are more likely to have osteoarthritis than men. Jobs and sports that require physically repetitive motions that place stress on the knee can increase risk for developing osteoarthritis. Severe injury or repeated injury to the knee can lead to osteoarthritis years later. Being overweight or obese puts additional stress on the knees over time. Slight joint defects or double-jointedness (laxity) and genetic defects may contribute to osteoarthritis in the knee. The older you are, the more likely you are to have worn-down knee joint cartilage. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative, “wear and tear” condition. Knee arthritis may reduce how much someone moves, which makes the joint even weaker and worsens symptoms. Weakness in the knee, which is often a result of reduced activity and resulting atrophy (wasting) of the quadriceps or hamstring muscles.Crepitus: the audible cracking, crunching, clicking or snapping sound made when moving a damaged joint.Catching and locking of the knee, which occurs when damaged and rough cartilage makes smooth movement difficult.Stiffness of the knee joint, which makes it difficult to bend and straighten the knee.
Pain in the knee that can be worsened by certain movements and exercises, including prolonged walking or standing.Signs of arthritis in the knee may include: Knee arthritis can make activities of daily living very difficult, including walking and climbing stairs. Injuries to the ligaments of the knee make the joint less stable over time, which may lead to cartilage breakdown. Post-Traumatic Knee ArthritisĪ history of injury or trauma to the knee may lead to development of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect people of any age. Inflammatory cells release substances that break down knee cartilage over time. It causes inflammation of the synovial membrane, the capsule surrounding the knee joint. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue in several joints of the body, including the knee. The breakdown of cartilage leads to pain and inflammation. It is often associated with wear and tear related to aging, and gradually progresses over time. It is the most common form of knee arthritis and can affect other joints as well. Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease.
There are many different kinds of arthritis, but the ones most likely to affect the knee are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis. When all three areas are affected, this is called tricompartmental arthritis.
Knee cartilage coats the end of the thighbone (femur), top of the shinbone (tibia) and the backside of the kneecap (patella). Cartilage is the slippery coating on the ends of bones that serves as a cushion and allows the knee to smoothly bend and straighten. Knee arthritis is inflammation and deterioration of knee joint cartilage.