Osteoarthritis (commonly known as OA) is commonly appear in middle age and people older than 65. With the increasing rate of obesity in our society, the number of people affected by OA is ascending. Obesity tends to put more weight on the knee joints, this ‘expedites’ the wear and tear of knee cartilage.

The degeneration of the knee joint may also due to knee overuse or knee injury, such as an ACL injury or a cartilage injury. Although the physical signs of arthritis appear in middle age, the degeneration process started much earlier.

Knee Arthritis (a.k.a. knee osteoarthritis) is a chronic, painful and degenerative condition of our knee joints, it’s characterized by the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage at the end of the bone joints. With the loss of knee cartilage, the joints rub against each other, this causes friction, inflammation, stiffness and loss of movement in the joint.

During movement, Synovial fluid that held in the joint cartilage squeezed out to lubricate the cartilage surface. With debilitation of joint end cartilage, this lubricating fluid will decrease significantly.

Stages of Knee Osteoarthritis - Signs & Symptoms

In general, there are 4 stages of knee osteoarthritis, it ranges from stage 1 to stage 4.

Stage 1 - Minor/ Doubtful Stage

• Very minor wear on the joint compartment
• bone spurs growth around the joints. Bone spurs developed following bones meet each other at the joint.
• The cartilage may be slightly damaged. No OA pain or discomfort.
  

Stage 2 - Mild Stage

• greater bone spur growth around knee joints.
• The space between bones is still normal, the knee joint bones are not rubbing against each other yet.
• The joint cartilage might begin slightly thin.
• this ‘ lubricant’ is still present at sufficient level to reduce friction and maintain normal joint movement.

Stage 3 - Moderate Stage

• Sign of damage and thinning appeared on the cartilage between bones.
  
• The space between the bones is getting narrower, the patient is likely to experience frequent pain during daily activities such as walking, running,
  
• Joint stiffness after sitting for long hours or when waking up in the morning.
  
• They may even experience joint swelling/ inflammation after long hours of activity.

Stage 4 - Severe Stage

• The cartilage between bones is badly damaged and the space between bones is greatly reduced.
• The lubricant- synovial fluid decreased substantially and no longer able to reduce the friction between moving parts of the joint, this leads to constant joint inflammation.
  
• patient experiences great pain and discomfort when walking or moving the joint.
  
• It is bone-on-bone stage, with very little cartilage left or it has completely worn away.
  

TREATMENT OF KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

For those who suffer from osteoarthritis, they are several ways you can use to manage the pain. Here is a list of products that help to manage osteoarthritis knee pain.

Osteoarthritis (OA) Knee Braces

Donjoy OA Reaction Web Knee Brace : Suitable for minor or mild stages of osteoarthritis. The patient still can carry out physical activities like running or jogging. The Donjoy OA Reactive Web Knee Brace is able to help with the pain and prevent it from worsening. The lightweight and innovative open web design provides appropriate shock absorption and support to the knee.

Donjoy OA Nano : Suitable for mild to moderate stages of osteoarthritis, the OA Nano brace is one of the world’s lighted knee braces. It provides great comfort to the wearer and effective in reducing knee pain during sport activities.

Donjoy OA Adjuster 3 Knee Brace : Suitable for moderate to severe osteoarthritis. The knee brace is fully adjustable, which allows the wearer to 'fine tune' the load on the knee according to the activity level. This unique feature enables wearer to keep a reasonably active life.

Donjoy OA Assist Knee Brace : Designed to support mild to moderate stages knee osteoarthritis, it is lightweight and comfortable, ideal for elderly or wearer with sedentary lifestyle.

Cold Packs

Reusable Hot/Cold gel packs:Use it as an ice pack to reduce inflammation, minimise knee joint pain. Use it as a hot pack to increase blood flow and promote relaxation of muscles and ligaments.

Ice bag: Ideal to use on the knee as it moulds to the skin.

Insoles

Formthotics Classic Blue Dual Insoles (medium density) : Features a combination of medium density with a soft shock attenuating layer on top. These insoles absorb the shocks during activities, protecting your knees from shocks and impacts, thus reduces knee pain. 

Rehab

Resistance bands : Available in various levels of strength, i.e. light -medium heavy. It can help to strengthen muscles and tendons progressively. Choose the correct strength according to your need.

Resistance exercise tubes : Another resistance exercise tool that helps to strengthen leg muscles. Available in three different strength levels (light-medium-heavy), apply the strength level according to your needs.

For more information on the injury and products, please go to our website refisio.com.au 

The information above is general in nature and is only intended to provide a summary of the subject matter covered. It is not a substitute for medical advice and you should always consult a trained professional practising in the area of sports medicine in relation to any injury. You use or rely on the information above at your own risk and no party involved in the production of this resource accepts any responsibility for the information contained within it or your use of that information.