HTV

Knee Pain

Overview

Knee pain is a relatively common health disorder that can affect individuals of any age. However, it is a more common complaint of the elderly.

Symptoms

Knee pain is a symptom in itself, but some of the following other symptoms may be associated with it:

  • Swelling and stiffness of knee joint
  • Redness
  • Warmth of joint
  • Weak joint
  • Popping or crunching noises from the joint
  • Inability to fully straighten the knee
  • Fever

Causes

There are a vast range of problems that can lead to knee pain. Some of them are listed below:

  • Injuries (Anterior cruciate ligament injury, fractures, torn meniscus, knee bursitis, patellar tendinitis)
  • Mechanical problems (loose body, iliotibial band syndrome, dislocated kneecap, hip or foot pain)
  • Arthritis (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, pseudogout, septic arthritis)

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of the underlying cause of the this health condition is made by:

  • Physical examination of the knee
  • X-ray knee
  • CT scan knee
  • Ultrasound knee
  • MRI knee
  • Blood tests for infection

Treatment

Treatment of knee pain differs according to the cause of the pain:

  • Analgesics
  • Physiotherapy
  • Medicine injections (Corticosteroids, Hyaluronic acid, Platelet-rich plasma)
  • Surgery (Arthroscopic surgery, Partial knee replacement, Total knee replacement)