Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that results from wear and tear of the joints, either through repetitive motions or overloading over time. Our joints are cushioned by protective cartilage that allows the ends of our bones to glide over one another smoothly and without pain. However, with overuse and trauma, these protective cartilages are worn down, eventually giving rise to osteoarthritis.
The most common symptoms are pain during or after moving them, and tenderness may be felt if pressure is applied. These joints also often feel the stiffest in the morning upon waking, or after a period of inactiveness. Due to such stiffness, flexibility and range of motion are often limited. In severe cases, grating sensations, lumps of bones may develop around the joints, and soft tissue around the joints may also become inflamed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is the other common form of arthritis that is not a result of wear and tear but is actually an autoimmune disorder. This is a result of the immune system attacking healthy cells, especially around joints.
As a result, pain often develops around these joints, more commonly, the hands, wrists, knees. This results in chronic pain, poor balance and joint deformity. Pain, stiffness and swelling are common symptoms, but unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can spread through the body, affecting multiple organs, resulting in weight loss, fever, fatigue and general weakness.
Cartilage helps absorb shock between joints. Trauma or chronic wear can cause injury to these cartilages. Joints that suffer from cartilage injuries are often the knees, hips, ankles and elbows.
Joint pain often occurs as a result of cartilage injury and pain may be present even when resting. Swelling is often a sequela of injury and may occur few hours to a few days after the injury. In certain cases, clicking, locking, or the joint giving way could be signs of cartilage damage.
Our knees have C-shaped cartilage that acts as a cushion between the shinbone and thigh bone. These cartilages are often torn when performing twisting or rotational movements, especially when bearing the full load of our weight on them.
Meniscus tears usually result in pain, swelling, joint stiffness and also limit the range of motion of the knee. Thus, bending the knee, lifting it up and even extending it fully may be either uncomfortable or simply not possible at all.
Ligaments are very tough bands of tissues that join one bone to another. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) specifically connects the thigh bone to the shin bone and stabilises the knee joint. Sports that require you to slow down rapidly and change direction rapidly often results in athletes suffering from ACL tears. Sudden stops, pivoting or impact are the most common causes of ACL tears.
When the ACL does tear, you will know it immediately because there is often a loud popping sound, followed by severe pain, immobility and rapid swelling. Subsequently, you will notice the inability to achieve the full range of motion of the legs and the inability to stand as a result of the knees giving way under load.
The knee cap is a small piece of protective bone found under the thigh bone. It is held together by many ligaments and protective cartilages. If these supporting structures become damaged, the knee cap may slide out of position, especially outwards to become dislocated.
Some symptoms that patients experience would be pain, especially at the front of the knee, usually triggered after activity, or even simply extended periods of sitting. Their knees may also feel as if they are buckling, locking or catching. Some cracking and popping of the joint may also be noticeable and last but not least, swelling around the knee is also not uncommon.
Our knees have many fluid-filled sacs around the joints, which reduces friction and cushions spots of high pressure between our joints and muscles. These sacs are often damaged due to prolonged and frequent pressure, such as kneeling on hard surfaces, trauma directly to the knee, strenuous activity, or bacterial infection.
Bursitis is a form of inflammation, thus, it will naturally have the classic signs of inflammation such as warmth, tenderness and swelling. Pain is often triggered when pressure is applied to the affected joint, however, it may be present when moving the joint or even at rest. Symptoms may either happen rapidly, especially following direct blows to the knee, but if the cause of bursitis is wear and tear, symptoms may appear gradually instead.
Septic arthritis is a form of joint infection. Infections may be a result of bacteria or viruses. There is a large range of bacteria that are capable of causing septic arthritis, but the most common would be Staphylococcus aureus, the predominant bacteria found on the skin.
Common causes would be a broken bone that pierces the skin or anything piercing the skin such as a foreign object or any injury resulting in the breaking of the skin barrier. Infected wounds or systemic infection spreading from other parts of the body to the joint are also potential causes of septic arthritis.
Like most infections, the most common symptoms are fever, joint pain and swelling, which are rather common symptoms associated with many other types of diseases, hence seeking the opinion of a medical practitioner is crucial in aiding its diagnosis.
A complex fracture, simply put, is a fracture that is more severe in nature. It usually involves injury to multiple joints and their associated tendons and ligaments. It is not uncommon for complex fractures to cause the fractured bone to pierce the skin into the external environment.
These fractures are often a result of high-velocity impact such as vehicular accidents, falls from high heights.
Extreme pain is present with most complex fractures. Severe disability and inability to move the relevant bones and joints are also natural sequelae. Visibly protruding bones are also common, and may even break the skin barrier from within.
Genu Valgum (Knock-kneed deformity) refers to an incorrect alignment around the knee where the knees bend inwards and “knock” against each other. If left untreated, this condition could lead to chronic pain and joint degeneration.
Genu Varum (Bow-legged deformity), conversely, refers to an incorrect alignment where the knees bend outwards, leaving a distinct space between the lower legs and knees.
Knee deformities may also happen as a result of two factors — significant trauma or impact to the knee, or changes developed from progressive arthritic conditions. Bones usually appear more prominent or push against the skin. This may cause significant pain, swelling and difficulty of movement.
Stretching and strengthening exercises can help maintain strong and flexible knees. However, if you often experience chronic pain, instability, or signs of infection, it is important to consult your orthopaedist for proper diagnosis and treatment.
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