Some Problems Caused By Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis is an extremely uncomfortable and painful condition indeed which can pose a significant amount of emotional and physical disability to the victim who will oftentimes find themselves unable and unwilling to engage in even the most simple of activities simply because to do so, would risk incurring and suffering additional pain.

Whilst the condition is most commonly diagnosed within people in their 50’s, this does not mean to say that it is only people within this category that will develop the condition, and so people who engage in certain types of high impact sports such as sprinting, hockey, football and lacrosse, will be at a higher than average risk of acquiring knee arthritis.

The pain that is caused within the knee joint will oftentimes limit the range of motion for the joint, which in turn makes the walking of the victim even more difficult, laboured and painful.  This can affect the biomechanics of the victim, as well as their gait, and if left unchallenged, can help to accelerate the destructive nature of the condition.

Another potential consequence of knee arthritis is that the victim will go on to develop what is referred to in the medical profession as a “Baker’s cyst”. The following is an overview of some of the pertinent issues to be aware of in regards to this condition.

What is a Baker’s cyst?

A soft lump situated at the back of the knee which is not painful in of itself, even when touched gently. However, direct pressure on the cyst can prove to be very painful indeed.

Is there any way of dealing with it?

Although the Baker’s cyst does not cause any problems by itself, there is always the very real possibility that it can burst which can be extremely painful indeed, thereby causing the victim to be unable to walk for a period of time.

In order to deal with this precise issue, the physician may perform a small operation designed to ensure that the cyst does not burst. In orderto do so, the surgeon will excise the cyst and drain it of its fluid.