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Does your knee hurt? Just felt like occasional discomfort in the beginning, pain can become disabling and even appear at rest. What if it is knee osteoarthritis?
EPITACT® sums up the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis or arthritic knee.
Gonalgia & knee pain
Gonalgia, or knee pain, is a symptom of many conditions. Among these conditions that can be responsible for knee pain, let's cite patellar tendinopathy, patellofemoral syndrome, chondromalacia patellae or knee osteoarthritis.
Knee osteoarthritis is a complicated disease that affects the knee joint, more specifically the cartilage recovering the bones. Since the cartilage is worn or cracked, it does not play its role properly anymore. Therefore, an inflammation may worsen the pain.
Arthritic knee can take several forms due to the complexity of the joint: click HERE to learn more.
What are the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis?
Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common joint disease. This condition is mainly characterised by knee pain, especially during flexion and extension movements. Initially, pain tends to be localised and intermittent. This symptom particularly manifests when going down or upstairs. Another revealing feature is called the ‘movie sign’ or ‘theatre sign’. A prolonged sitting position with knees bent leads to the appearance of localised discomfort on the lateral edge of the kneecap. This pain reflects the involvement of the patellofemoral joint. Over time, it becomes diffuse and constant even during resting periods or at night.
The symptoms of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis are more often described as a discomfort when walking.
In the case of intense stress, the knee may swell and the joint becomes red. These symptoms can be the result of an inflammation of the synovial membrane.
Pain can cause a feeling of muscle weakness or joint stiffness.
The discomfort caused by these pains may lead to a loss of movement coordination.
Another symptom associated with knee osteoarthritis is the need to ‘crack’ the knee or the impression that it ‘cracks’ during flexion or extension movements.
How the be sure that your symptoms are those of knee osteoarthritis?
Knee pain can take several forms and be a symptom of another condition. Discover our article dedicated to the diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis or arthritic knee.
After examining your joint, your doctor (sport physician, general practitioner or orthopaedist) will probably prescribe you an X-ray to make the diagnosis. In this way, he will be able to clearly identify if you’re suffering from a tibiofemoral or patellofemoral osteoarthritis. After that, he will probably suggest you a treatment combined with the wearing of a knee brace.
To relieve pain, you can wear the PHYSIOstrap™ MEDICAL brace* developed by EPITACT®.
This knee brace is specifically conceived for the patellofemoral osteoarthritis and is made up of two silicone elastic strips. Placed along the thigh, theses strips hold the brace in place throughout the day. Thanks to this medical device, your kneecap is surrounded by a silicone tendon to guide it in the femoral trochlea. The ultra-thin and flexible fabric avoids pressure against the patella and the popliteal fossa. Light and discreet, this brace weighs only 40 grams so that it can be worn under all your clothes.
For more details about this condition, read our other articles dedicated to knee osteoarthritis: Buying a knee brace: where, how?, The different types of knee pain, The people at risk...
*This product is a class I medical device that bears the CE marking under this regulation. Carefully read the instructions before use. Manufacturer: Millet Innovation. 03/2022