Orthopedics

Knee and Joint Care

Knee pain is a common problem caused by acute injuries and complicated medical conditions. It is the most common musculoskeletal problem in today’s time. The knee is a complex joint supported by ligaments, muscles, tendons, meniscus and joint capsules. Knee pain can be localized or diffused throughout the knee. It develops gradually over time and has a wide variety of causes and treatments. Knee pain can affect people of all ages and makes walking and weight-bearing very difficult.

Symptoms

If you experience the following symptoms in and around your knees, you should visit your doctor immediately.

Swelling and stiffness
Inability to fully straighten the knee
Weakness or instability
Pain while walking

Difficulty to bend the knee
Popping sound in knee movement
Redness and warmth to the touch

Causes

Acute injuries such as broken bone and fractures. All fractures need immediate medical attention. Most knee fractures are not painful but interfere with the proper functioning of the knee.

Sports injuries - torn meniscus, dislocation, ligament injuries, bursitis. The most common ligament injury is an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury. Twisting the knee can injure the meniscus. The meniscus acts as a shock absorber between bones in the knee.
Knee dislocation requires immediate medical care as it can compromise the blood flow to the rest portion of the leg and lead to various other problems.

Medical conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, infections, IT syndrome, patellar syndrome, chondromalacia
Osteoarthritis is caused due to wear and tear of cartilage of the knee joint.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes severe pain, swelling and disability.
Septic arthritis or infectious arthritis leads to inflammation, swelling and fever. Patellar tendinitis is a chronic condition found in runners and cyclists due to repeated motion during exercise.

Excess weight lifting can increase stress on the knee joint.

Obesity increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

Diagnosis

Your orthopaedic doctor will ask some general health and knee pain related specific questions. The doctor will be able to diagnose knee problems from the symptoms and physical examination of the knee that will include maximum range of motion, ligament stability, tenderness and swelling.

The doctor may prescribe some imaging tests such as X-ray, MRI, CT scan and Ultrasound for viewing injuries in ligaments, tendons, muscles and cartilage. Lab tests may be required in some cases, to check for any kind of infection and cause of inflammation.

Treatment

Medications and Injections

Your orthopaedic doctor may prescribe some medications to help relieve pain and treat underlying conditions. In some cases, the doctor may suggest some injections like hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma. These injections help in knee pain caused due to tendon tears, sprain or injury. These are highly effective and can provide relief from the pain for as long as six months.

Therapy

Your orthopaedic surgeon will recommend physical exercises and therapy to strengthen muscles around the knee.Regular exercises improve muscle flexibility and body balance. In certain conditions, a different types of braces may be used to protect and support the knee joint.

Surgery
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Knee Arthroscopy is a surgical treatment that diagnoses knee pain problems, like a torn meniscus or misaligned patella (kneecap), patella that’s out of position, removal of Baker’s cyst, fractures in knee bones and helps in repairing the ligaments of joints.

Small incisions are made in the area of treatment making it easier for the surgeon to see inside the joint with the help of an arthroscope. The surgeon can see the images produced by the camera on the monitor in the operating room. There are limited risks of the surgery and the recovery time depends on the severity of the knee problem

Exercises to reduce the knee pain and strengthen the muscles surrounding the knees are suggested by a physical therapist. Walking, cycling, yoga, water exercise, neuromuscular training are few among those

Partial Knee replacement surgery

In this procedure, your orthopaedic surgeon will only replace your knee’s damaged portion by making small incisions. This surgery provides fast recovery compared to total knee replacement.

Total Knee replacement

In this surgery, the damaged bone and cartilage are removed and replaced with an artificial joint made of metal alloys and high-grade plastic polymers.

Prevention

Maintaining a healthy weight can prevent the knee from experiencing stress due to extra pounds, reducing the risk of injuries and osteoarthritis.
Do balanced strength and stability training exercises.
Invest in the right quality insoles and footwear.
Do knee stretching exercises
Massage the knee joint by applying pain-relieving gel in case of pain
Apply hot and cold packs in case of swelling and stiffness.

Adam Vital Hospital is an established hospital in Dubai that provides you the best treatments for your knee injuries. We have an experienced team of orthopaedic doctors and surgeons who are ready to assist you.