Knee osteoarthritis

First, we check whether the symptoms really fit osteoarthritis or whether other causes could be involved. This includes talking with you and examining movement, stability and the knee’s ability to cope with load. Your leg alignment and muscles may also be relevant to the assessment. An X-ray can show changes in the bone and joint space. Ultrasound may add useful information for certain questions, for example when assessing a collection of fluid or a superficial soft-tissue structure. An MRI is not automatically needed whenever the knee hurts. Every investigation should answer a question that matters for treatment.

A stronger knee with better movement control may cope better with everyday activity, even when osteoarthritis remains visible on an X-ray. Targeted exercise and strengthening are therefore important non-surgical measures. The level of activity should be appropriate for your current condition. To begin with, a shorter walk with breaks or a different form of exercise may be more suitable than your usual sport. What matters is a gradual build-up that makes sense to you and that you can keep up regularly. If exercises cause persistent severe symptoms, the plan needs adjusting. If you are overweight, achievable weight loss can help reduce the load on the joint. Such advice should fit your circumstances. A small, realistic step is more helpful than general advice that is difficult to put into practice in everyday life.

Depending on your symptoms, aids, orthoses or medicines for pain relief may be considered. They have different purposes: an aid may, for example, make certain activities easier, while a medicine may temporarily relieve symptoms. The choice must take account of any other medical conditions and medicines you already take. Treatment should be linked to a concrete question: is walking easier? Has the swelling reduced? Can you do your exercises more comfortably? Such goals help assess the effect and the demands a treatment may involve. If a measure does not provide sufficient benefit, its continued use should be reconsidered.

Various injection treatments are offered for knee osteoarthritis. They differ in how they work, the evidence supporting them and their risks. The fact that a substance is injected directly into a joint does not in itself tell us how large or lasting its benefit will be. The services at OrthoCoast include hyaluronic acid and ACP or PRP. Whether any of these options can be justified in your case must be assessed in light of the diagnosis, measures already tried and your expectations. Benefits, uncertainties, possible complications and costs you would need to pay yourself should all be discussed together beforehand. Such treatment should not be equated with proven regrowth of joint cartilage. The individual pages on these treatments explain the differences in more detail. Exercise and other suitable core measures remain part of the decision.

If pain and limitations remain severe despite appropriate non-surgical treatment, a surgical assessment may be helpful. A decision about joint replacement depends on several factors, including symptoms, loss of function, findings, your general health and your personal expectations. An abnormal X-ray alone does not determine the timing. Equally, surgery does not have to be avoided as a matter of principle if, after careful consideration, it is the right option. You should understand which problem the procedure is likely to improve and what demands and risks it involves. With suitable non-surgical treatment, it may be possible to improve symptoms enough that a joint replacement is not needed for the time being. How long an operation can be postponed varies from person to person. We therefore do not promise that surgery can be postponed for a set period. Instead, we discuss what is realistic for your knee and when reassessment would be helpful.

Perhaps you would like to walk a particular distance again or get out of the car without help. Identifying these goals at the start makes it easier to assess over time whether treatment is making a difference to you. Osteoarthritis follows an individual course. Symptoms can change, and a plan that once suited you may not remain appropriate indefinitely. Let us know if you cannot put a measure into practice, experience side effects or feel unsure. This information is part of your care and helps us choose the next step sensibly.

Your main contacts for non-surgical joint and osteoarthritis treatment are Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil. Richard Kasch, Dr. med. Christoph Jährling and Björn Weidemann. They also assess whether ACP or PRP and hyaluronic acid are appropriate and provide these treatments. If you would like to discuss the options for your knee, contact us through “Appointments & enquiries”. Bring existing reports and details of previous treatments. The doctor profiles show their respective qualifications, and the overview of our doctors provides information on cover arrangements.