Knee pain

Knee pain (gonalgia) is a common complaint across all ages. Possible causes can stem from the bones that make up the joint (tibia, femur, patella) or from the soft tissues such as ligaments, articular cartilage, menisci, and tendons that support or surround the knee.

The cause of such pains can range from a direct, localized injury to another systemic complication or disease.

Knee pain can be localized to a specific structure of the knee or diffuse across the entire surface of the joint. It is often accompanied by limited movement, difficulty walking, climbing stairs, a sense of instability in the joint, and limping.

Factors that predispose individuals to knee problems include increased body weight, excessive mechanical stress on the knees, various systemic diseases, and a tendency to experience accidents, falls, etc.

Common reasons for someone to visit an orthopedic specialist are:

• Any load to knee is intolerable.
• Knee pain without load, knee pain at night rest
• The knee "locks" in a certain position or is mechanically obstructed, preventing movement and causing pain.
• Knee Instability during walking
• Appearance of a change in the alignment of the joint.
• Pain, redness, swelling and heat on the knee.
• Below knee pain, numness
• Pain that persists despite rest and offloading, or worsens over time.

During the visit to the doctor, the patient undergoes an orthopedic examination, and based on clinical findings, blood tests and imaging studies may be requested to determine the treatment plan.

Treatment may be conservative at times and surgical at others, depending on the specific findings, the patient's actual and biological age, as well as the quality of life the patient desires and the demands of their daily activities.

In our arsenal, we have available options ranging from medication, physical therapies, intra-articular and non-injectable treatments, to minimally invasive surgical methods (such as arthroscopy), as well as more extensive surgeries like open approaches to the joint for fracture repair, and also the... total knee arthroplasty ...that is, joint replacement with an artificial joint in the final stages of degenerative or post-traumatic conditions where the cartilage of the joint is not amenable to any other type of repair or intervention.

Arthroscopy of the knee is a routine surgery that addresses many of the anatomical damages within the joint. Using specialized tools, we can directly visualize the injury and take action. The incisions we make to work inside the joint are very small, and the hospital stay typically lasts only a few hours in simple cases. Recovery of the operated knee is usually fast.