Learning About Your Knee Condition
Many people live with knee pain for years. Simple activities like playing with your child or getting in and out of the car can become an ordeal. Below are brief descriptions of some of the most common knee conditions. Your doctor is the best source of information about your specific knee condition and your treatment options.
Bursitis, Tendonitis, or knee anterior Pain Syndrome
These are all overuse injuries in which repetitive activities or prolonged pressure on the knee, such as stair climbing, jogging, or other stresses on the joint, lead to irritation and inflammation.
Sprains
Sprains are injuries to the ligaments that connect bone to bone. The ligaments may be stretched, or they may be partially or completely torn. Treatment will vary depending on the severity of the injury.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease and is a degenerative disease that tends to worsen over time. Treatments vary according to the severity of the disease, but can include exercise, pain-killers, anti-inflammatory medications, intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid to temporally replace the viscous liquid which is in the joint (viscosupplementation) and, in the most severe cases, surgery.
Cartilage Damage
Articular cartilage damage may occur during sports or work activities, a traumatic incident involving the knee, or just through daily wear and tear. Please see our Knee Cartilage Damage page for more information.