Arthritis causes swelling and inflammation in the joints and commonly affects the knee. People may also experience knee stiffness, weakness, and cracking noises when moving the knee.
Arthritis is a term that encompasses over 100 conditions that may cause inflammation or swelling of the joints or tissues. Many of these conditions can affect the knee.
This article discusses the different symptoms of knee arthritis and explains which type of arthritis may be causing them. It will also provide information on diagnosis and treatment options.
Symptoms of arthritis in the knee
Symptoms of arthritis in the knee can include:
- knee pain and swelling after use, misuse, or trauma
- knee pain and swelling that worsens after extended periods of inactivity, such as sleeping, sitting, standing, or resting, or at the end of the day
- knee stiffness and swelling in the knee, which can make it hard to straighten or bend the knee properly
- a “locking” or “sticking” sensation when moving the knee
- a creaking, clicking, grinding, or snapping noise when moving the knee
- pain that may worsen with rainy weather
- weakness or buckling in the knee
Do symptoms only affect one leg?
Osteoarthritis (OA), reactive arthritis, gout, and post-traumatic arthritis often cause pain in only one joint or one side of the body, although they can affect both sides of the body. Autoimmune conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis tend to affect both sides of the body.
Is the pain continuous?
Gout, OA, post-traumatic, reactive, and infectious arthritis can cause continual discomfort during the acute phase of the flare or attack. However, symptoms may be worse on some days than others.
Other forms of arthritis may have symptoms alternating between flare-ups and periods of remission where symptoms improve, such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis
- psoriatic arthritis
- arthritis due to lupus
Do symptoms start in a smaller joint?
Many autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, cause initial symptoms in smaller joints before impacting the knee. Lupus arthritis also does not typically start in the knee. Early symptoms can affect the fingers, wrists, elbows, ankles, and toes.
However, gout, infectious and reactive arthritis, post-traumatic injury, and lupus tend to impact the knee early on.
Arthritis that affects the knee
The following types of arthritis might affect the knee.
Osteoarthritis
OA is the most common type of arthritis and cause of knee arthritis. It is a degenerative disease that usually impacts people over 50 years old and is characterized by gradual loss of joint cartilage.
OA happens when joint cartilage degrades with age and wear and tear of joints, decreasing the cushioning space between the bones and producing painful growths called bone spurs. Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body and more than one at a time.
Post-traumatic arthritis
Post-traumatic arthritis occurs after injury to the knee. Post-traumatic arthritis can affect the ligaments and cartilage that stabilize and support the joint.
Gout
Gout occurs when uric acid crystals deposit in joints, fluids, and tissues. Gout may also impact the ankles or feet….. Continue Reading…..