When the cartilage of the knee is worn, the friction between the bones makes the articulation difficult to slide.
Osteophytes (bone beaks) can form and their appearance aggravates the blockage of the joint.
Most often, osteoarthritis begins on the inner part of the knee and can develop gradually to the entire joint more or less rapidly. The knee becomes stiff and painful.
Your surgeon needs an X-ray to assess the bone condition of your joint ; a CT-arthrography or MRI can complete the imaging test.
Inquire in advance is mandatory in order to perform the most suitable examination.
Below a short video for more information about knee arthritis (in French)
Treatment options
Medical Treatment
To relieve painful phenomena, it is possible to initially prescribe an analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment, which should be combined with rehabilitation to maintain the suppleness of the joint and maintain the musculature.
Injections of corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid (viscosupplementation) or platelets (PRP) can be proposed in a prudent and reasoned way.
In the event of medical treatment failure, different surgical procedures may be considered.
Osteotomy (or reorientation)
Osteotomy is generally indicated in the youngest subjects (before the age of 60 years) with a limited osteoarthritis. Osteotomy is an intervention aimed at "straightening" or re-locating the lower limb above or below the knee in order to better distribute the load of the body weight on the joint.
Unicompartmental knee prosthesis
Osteoarthritis that is limited to a single compartment may be treated with a unicompartmental knee replacement. During this procedure, the damaged compartment (medial or lateral) is replaced with prosthetic implant
Below, a short video for more information about unicompartmental knee prosthesis (in French)
Total knee prosthesis
If osteoarthritis is spread to the entire joint, a total knee replacement is required to replace all the compartments.
The aim of these surgeries is to restore an anatomical axis to the lower limb, to relieve the painful phenomena and to find a better perimeter of walk.
