Learn more about knee joint treatment
The knee joint is very large and consists of many things that are interconnected with each other, and therefore the occurrence of any defect in one area may affect other parts, whether in the knee or the areas that surround it and communicate with it. Follow the following article with us to learn how to treat the problems that the knee joint faces.
Knee joint treatment
When facing any problems in the knee joint, knowing the main cause of this matter is the first solution that is resorted to, then in the next step the specialist doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment according to the patient’s condition, and examples of the methods that are followed in the treatment of the knee joint:
Natural therapy
This method of treatment focuses on strengthening the muscles that surround the knee joint, in addition to many other areas such as the buttocks and hips, and the tightening of inflexible muscles such as the hamstrings, as the more flexible the muscles that support the knee joint, this has a major role in relieving the pressure on the cartilage, which causes bone damage.
Pain killers
There are some over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin.
- Painkillers are more powerful in their effects but require a medical prescription before taking them, such as naproxen, ibuprofen, and COX-2 inhibitors.
- Some creams are placed directly on the pain area and work to calm inflammation and reduce its severity.
Arthritis injections
The specialist doctor may prescribe some types of injections that soothe and reduce joint inflammation, such as:
- Hyaluronic acid injections: They act like lubricating fluid for the knee joint, which plays a major role in relieving pain.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection: It is a sample of the patient’s blood that is drawn to contribute to tissue repair and recovery.
- Stem cell injections: stimulate the growth of new tissues and have a very good effect in treating arthritis.
- Regenerative injection therapy: This is a major contributor to calming inflammation.
- Steroid injections: It has another name with which it is known, which is cortisone injection, and it is considered more common in the treatment of arthritis, and it has a major role in alleviating inflammation, preventing knee stiffness, and reducing swelling and pain.
Surgery
This solution is the last resort that the doctor resorts to if the previous methods of treatment did not produce any satisfactory result, and there are many operations from which the most appropriate ones are chosen according to the patient’s condition, and some examples are:
- Arthroscopy: This is good for repairing any joint injuries or cleaning debris from the joint for those under 40 years of age.
- Osteotomy: This process involves cutting the bones to relieve pressure on the affected part and correct its alignment. This treatment is mostly for the young age group under 40 years.
- Joint replacement: In this process, the damaged joint is replaced with an artificial part to reduce the pain felt by the individual and the ability to move well.
Knee pain and its treatment
Knee pain that many individuals feel is the result of many causes, and when searching for ways to get rid of the pain, you must first know the main reason behind this to get rid of the root of the problem once and for all, but to alleviate the symptoms, mild treatment methods can be followed at home, and here are some of them:
- Take plenty of rest and avoid pressure on the foot where you feel pain.
- Do some cold water compresses on the area of pain to calm the swelling.
- Raise the injured leg from the rest of the body.
- Take some painkillers in case of severe symptoms.
- Wear a knee brace to limit its movement.
Knee replacement exercises
After performing a knee joint replacement operation, there are some exercises that the doctor recommends to restore the effectiveness of the knee movement well, strengthen the muscles, and increase their flexibility, these exercises must be done under the supervision of a specialist in physiotherapy to ensure effective results and avoid any error that may cause serious complications, here are some of the most important exercises recommended by the doctor after the operation:
- Move the palms of the legs and ankles to improve blood flow: Lie on the back or sit on the bed while keeping the leg upright, and move the ankles forward and backward. You must continue to practice this exercise for a period of not less than 20 minutes, taking care to tighten the twin muscles and the posterior hips during this exercise.
- An indirect stretch of the quadriceps muscle: Relax on your back while keeping the toes in a straight position upwards, create tension on the muscle by pulling the knee downward, maintain this tension for 5 seconds of time, and repeat this exercise up to 10 times.
- Effective strengthening of the quadriceps muscle: this exercise is done while lying on the bed and wrapping a towel under the knee, then raising the man’s palm by using the bed cover, and the knee should not rise above the towel wrapped around it, keep putting the foot in the air for 5 seconds, then lower it very slowly, and repeat this exercise up to 10 times.
- An exercise to improve knee bending while lying down: lie on the bed while keeping the legs in a straight position, then work on bending the knee very slowly by pulling the heel towards you, then return the knee to its normal position slowly and repeat this exercise up to 10 times.
- Lifting the leg in a straight position: Lie on the bed and keep the leg in a straight position, then tighten the quadriceps muscle and maintain the straightening of the leg while raising the leg from 20 to 30 cm, and continue in this position until 5 seconds have passed, then return to the normal position very slowly, and this exercise is repeated up to 10 times.
Knee joint pain
Many individuals suffer from pain in the knee joint and complain about it, and this pain may be the result of exposure to some injuries such as a rupture of any of the ligaments and cartilage, or it may be inferred from them to have certain diseases such as arthritis and gout, and most of the pain that the individual feels in the knee joint may be simple and can be cured with some simple treatment procedures.
However, some of these pains may be the result of a major problem in the joint that requires strong treatment or surgery often, and for this reason, the patient should undergo a good diagnosis to treat the underlying problem well, and among the symptoms that appear on individuals:
- Swelling and stiffness of the affected leg, especially in the morning.
- Warmth and redness of the skin around the affected area.
- Feeling weak and losing the ability to bear weight on the knee area.
- Popping sounds when moving, accompanied by pain.
- Loss of ability to move the knee effectively, such as fully bending or straightening it.
Damages of knee replacement surgery
Any operation that is performed may have some damage to it, and this has many factors, such as not following the doctor’s instructions after the operation well, or an error on the part of the surgeon himself during the operation, and examples of these damages are:
- The patient experienced bleeding after the operation.
- There will be some symptoms that do not go away after the operation, such as stiffness and pain.
- Blood clots in both legs and lungs.
- Transmission of any infection to the patient.
- If the prosthesis is loose or corroded, in this case, the patient will need to replace the joint.
- exposure to a fracture.
- The occurrence of a wound in the blood vessels or nerves that are present in the area of the operation, which causes weakness and continuous numbness in the knee area.
Knee joint effusion
Knee joint effusion is defined as the accumulation of large amounts of synovial fluid in the knee area, and this is the result of exposure to some injuries or suffering from some types of diseases, as the primary function of this fluid lies in absorbing shocks and preventing bone friction with each other during movement, and a defect may occur that causes an increase in the secretion of the amount of this fluid, which leads to its accumulation around the joint and causes swelling, inflammation, and severe pain.
Types of artificial knee joint
Many types of artificial knee joints are used in knee joint replacement operations, and the most suitable type is chosen according to the severity of the patient’s injury and the type of surgery that is performed, as the surgery in which the total joint is replaced is the entire joint is replaced with another part that is made of plastic, metal, or ceramic, while partial joint replacement, only damaged parts are replaced, and among the types of artificial joints that are used in the operation:
Types according to the material used
- Metal on plastic: This type is the most common among artificial joints, and it has a metal component that connects from the bottom of the thigh bone and is installed on a plastic spacer made of polyethylene and connects from the top of the leg nerve, and among the most used metals are cobalt, chromium, titanium, zirconium or nickel, which is the cheapest type and more capable of continuing for long periods.
- Ceramic over plastic: Ceramic is used on the hip joint instead of metal, or metal is used that is coated with ceramics and is installed on a plastic spacer. This type of artificial joint is used with people who are allergic to nickel, which is used in metal joints.
- Ceramic on ceramic: This type of joint is made entirely of ceramic, on the side that pertains to the middle of the joint of the femur or shin bone, and although the joints made of ceramic are better than others because they reduce the sensitivity of them, they are criticized for making a creaking sound while walking, or if they are subjected to severe pressure, they are subject to fragmentation into small parts that require surgical intervention to remove them.
- Metal on metal: This type of artificial joint consists entirely of metal, but it has been discontinued in recent years for fear of metal leakage into the blood, as this is very dangerous.
species according to stability
- Fixed-Bearing Implant: The plastic separator is attached to the top surface of the shin bone in a fixed manner that does not allow it to move at all and is firmly attached to the metal base so that the femur is sliding over this spacer, and the fixed artificial joints can provide a good range of motion that lasts for a long period, such as the bones of some patients, but frequent movement and weight gain cause damage to the fixed joint.
- Mobile-Bearing Implant: This type of joint can move in a wider range, as it gives the ability to the shin to rotate short distances around the metal base, and the doctor recommends this type of joint for young people or those who need to move more than the normal rate, and this type of joint allows the ability to move well in both the front and the side of the knee, which makes the joint able to last for longer periods and reduce the incidence of wear.
Artificial knee joint
Resorting to a surgery in which an artificial knee joint is installed is in cases where other therapeutic methods cannot be feasible with it and when all other solutions have been exhausted, and there are many advantages to the artificial knee joint, including:
- Completely getting rid of the pain that the individual felt after 3 weeks of the operation, and the symptoms may disappear completely after 6 months of performing it, and the patient will be able to walk well and move in many directions.
- The period for complete recovery is relatively short.
- The patient can move in all directions well.
- Return to normal activities of daily living.
- The ability to return to exercise again.
- The patient’s health improved.
- The artificial knee joint continues to be used for up to 15 years.