Osteoarthritis is known by many as one of the most common Arthritides in the knee. Osteoarthritis in the knee is the wearing and tearing of the joint’s cartilage and is prevalent among the senior populace. However, younger people may get it too. The cartilage serves as responsible tissue for the smooth gliding of the joints. If the cartilage starts to deteriorate with age or with injury, an individual may start to feel swelling, inflammation and pain as a symptom, or even worse – deformation.
Understanding Knee Osteoarthritis
With a simple trip to a clinic that treats osteoarthritis knee conditions in Singapore, it’s now easy to detect any signs at an early stage. Knee osteoarthritis can be easily detected and diagnosed with X-rays, lab tests and physical examination to see for any signs of problems that prevent the cartilage from working at an optimal level.
Other symptoms or possible signs for knee osteoarthritis are:
- tenderness when applying pressure to the affected area or near i
- unable to perform full range motion involving the joint
- hard and lumpy bone spurs in the affected area
- grating sensation when using the joint and occasional crackling or popping sound in the area when moving
- stiffness can become more apparent after periods of inactivities
It is a must to visit clinics that treat osteoarthritis knee in Singapore for early treatment or provide accurate diagnosis if it ends up with a different condition. If you end up with an injury and the stiffness and pain in the joint continues to persist or doesn’t go away with remedies, make a scheduled appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.
Knee Osteoarthritis – Risk Factor
While there is no known direct cause for knee osteoarthritis, many among the medical community have established an agreement that there are existing risk factors for the disease. If one would visit a clinic for osteoarthritis knee in Singapore for diagnosis, most doctors would point out risk factors such as:
Age
Age is considered one of the biggest risk factors for knee osteoarthritis. The older your age gets, the higher you become at risk for knee osteoarthritis, and people that are at least over 60 may start developing knee osteoarthritis and its symptoms to some degree. However, this may vary depending on the health condition among seniors. Repeating stress overuse and injuries are one of the primary reasons for people in their 20s or 30s to experience knee osteoarthritis.
Obesity
A number of patients with osteoarthritis knee in Singapore are within the obesity and overweight spectrum. Adding extra weight or pounds to your body introduces stress associated with gaining weight to joints which put you at risk of knee osteoarthritis. Most of these stresses are found within the hip and knee region, and this extra pound of fat causes inflammation among the joints.
Genetics
Many people can develop certain types of disease and ailments, including knee osteoarthritis, even at a young age (think of the 20s or 30s) due to the role of genetics. Some people can inherit certain diseases from their parents. In that case, it is best to consider seeing a physician for early diagnosis before the disease could progress any worse.
Joint injuries
A number of patients with an osteoarthritis knee in Singapore have joint injuries as a risk factor. Joint injuries are considered a risk factor as a number of sports-related injuries commonly occur in joints, and they can directly cause damage to cartilage if not prevented. Joint injuries also differ from their severity as some may need serious treatment, such as surgery, while others can be treated with simple procedures at home or clinic.
Bone problems and deformities
Some individuals may develop abnormalities or deformities in their bones. In some instances, these deformities may end up in the leg area. If it does, the patient may likely end up developing knee osteoarthritis. An early visit to physicians can help detect these problems in advance, which can be beneficial for effective treatment. In severe cases, patients may need to look for an orthopaedic surgeon in Singapore for surgery treatment.
Stress on the joint
If you are participating in sports activities, certain activities can cause repeated stress on muscle, bones, and joints and usually, our lower limbs can end up receiving more. If these stresses become repetitive in the leg’s joint, you are likely to develop leg osteoarthritis.
Possible Complications With Knee Osteoarthritis
Medical professionals such as physicians and orthopaedic doctors may continue to remind patients to get proper treatment with knee osteoarthritis. Hence, it is crucial to visit clinics that provide treatment for osteoarthritis knee in Singapore.
In some cases, knee osteoarthritis may appear as a tolerable nuisance. If left untreated, it may progress even more, which leads to other possible complications down the road.
Possible complications with knee osteoarthritis if left untreated are:
Can induce sleep problems or disturbances
Osteoarthritis can progressively become more painful, which may likely lead to patients waking up more often at night from the persisting pain. Lack of proper sleep can affect our mental health and may even lead to depression as a result.
Joint infection and bleeding
Infections and bleeding in the joint area are also likely to occur apart from the deterioration. If you suspect any signs of infection, such as continuous swelling and fever symptoms, visit a doctor or orthopaedic surgeon in Singapore to stop the process of further infection and joint damage.
Thinning or rupturing of tendons and ligaments
Untreated knee osteoarthritis can progress, which leads to the thinning and tearing or rupturing of tendons and ligaments of the affected joint.
Professional Treatment
With the advancement in the field of medical treatment, a majority of local clinics nowadays can provide replacement knee surgery, Platelet-Rich Plasma injections, Autologous Cultured Chondrocytes or lab-grown cells that are injected, etc. Still, there’s no available cure for osteoarthritis, but one can manage to treat pain and other symptoms with the help of professionals.
Conclusion
Learning more about knee osteoarthritis can help us become aware of the possible risks and is a crucial step for making safety precautions to prevent acquiring such a condition. It’s time that we take good care of our knees by exploring other possible diseases and ailments and what we can do to prevent them.
If you are looking for a treatment for knee osteoarthritis or ACL injury in Singapore, visit Advanced Orthopaedic and Sports Centre for more info and resources.
