What Does Degenerative Changes In The Knee Mean?

If you are over the age of 45 and notice pain and swelling in your knee, you may have osteoarthritis of the knee. Over ten million people in the U.S. Alone have this condition, so if you think you might be suffering from osteoarthritis, you are not alone. Osteoarthritis of the knee is also known as degenerative arthritis of the knee. Those suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee will have several telltale symptoms such as: Stiffness, cracking, warmth in the joint, pain while active, swelling, and decreased mobility.

Osteoarthritis of the knee happens when the cartilage wear away over time. This causes the bones to rub together, resulting in uncomfortable pain, swelling, and stiffness. When cartilage wears out it can also cause bone spurs which are also known as osteophytes.

There are several reasons why you might have developed osteoarthritis of the knee. Besides age, other risk factors include heredity, weight, stress injuries, gender, and athletics. Weight is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee. Overweight individuals put more pressure on joints and cause cartilage to wear down more quickly. For the most part, age is the biggest cause of osteoarthritis of the knee. Over a lifetime, the cushioning between our joints naturally wears away.

Fortunately there are a few treatment methods that can help you get moving again and alleviate the pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. The first thing you should do is simple - take anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. This will help with the swelling. Next, you should make an effort to be healthier. Eat a healthy diet and exercise. If you lose weight, your knees will thank you. Braces and topical creams may be used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. In extreme circumstances, your doctor may suggest surgery, but this is unlikely.

Degenerative changes in the joint can affect different compartments of the knee joint. The typical signs of degenerative changes are narrowing of the joint space, formation of cyst, hypertropic osteophytic or bone sclerosis etc. Degenerative changes can cause a disease called lateral compartment arthrosis or genu varum deformity. Degenerative changes affect the medial joint compartment of the knee more commonly then it affects the lateral compartments. So, lateral compartment arthrosis is not as common as genu varum deformity, as it takes place in the lateral compartment of the knee joint.

The degenerative changes of the knee normally means the development of osteoarthritis, these types of developments are normally cured via Osteotomy.

Osteotomy basically is a surgical operation in which a bone is cut short, lengthen, or alteration of the ligament is done.

At times it is carried out on a hallux valgus, or to level a bone which has healed in a crooked manner after a fracture. It is also applied to alter a coax vara, genu valgum and also genu varus. The operation is carried out under general anaesthesia.

Because of the severe nature of this process, recovery period may generally take some time. Regular consultation with a doctor is extremely vital in order to guarantee proper planning throughout a recovery phase.