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What is Knee Arthritis?
The knee is a hinge joint connecting the thigh and lower leg. The joint is lined with articular cartilage and meniscal cartilage. Articular cartilage is the smooth, white tissue lining the ends of each bone, and can break down over time from injury or the natural aging process. This process is known as degenerative arthritis or osteoarthritis.
How do you know if you have Knee Arthritis?
Symptoms can include knee pain, inflammation and stiffness. X-ray images may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
What are the treatments for Knee Arthritis?
Nonsurgical options historically included rest, modified activities, weight loss, medication, and physical therapy. The definitive treatment for Knee Arthritis is a joint replacement (total knee replacement). Many patients are not ready for a joint replacement and there are a number of strategies to help manage pain until you are ready or the disease is severe enough to warrant surgery.
The goal of treatment is to control the pain. Viscosupplementation injections are commonly used for knee pain, and have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1997. Learn more about viscocupplementation injections for knee pain here.
In the past when traditional conservative treatments failed, a total knee replacement was recommended. Dr. Sussman now offers alternatives to knee replacement including PRP injections, stem cell injections and the Coolief procedure. Learn more about alternative treatment here.
What is Patella Tendinopathy?
The patella tendon connects the knee cap to the shin bone, and helps straighten the knee. Stress is greatest across the patella tendon when jumping and landing, and excessive stress can damage the tendon. Patients often feel increased symptoms when bending the knee while squatting or walking down stairs. Tendonitis (tendinitis) means “inflammation of the tendon,” but we now know that inflammation is not a common cause of tendon pain.
Most tendon injuries are a result of gradual wear and tear. Stress can result in micro tears over time, and the damage can exceed the rate of repair. Micro-damage over time can result in degenerative tears of the tendon and pain.
How do you know if you have Patella Tendinopathy?
Symptoms can include knee pain and often the tendon is stiff in the morning. Patients will often feel increased symptoms when bending the knee, such as when squatting or going down stairs.
What are the treatments for Patella Tendinopathy?
Nonsurgical options historically included rest, ice, medication and physical therapy. Imaging, including a MRI or musculoskeletal ultrasound, will often confirm the diagnosis.
In the past when these traditional conservative treatments failed, surgery was recommended. Dr. Sussman now offers alternatives to surgery for chronic tendinopathy including platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, stem cell injections and percutaneous needle tenotomy (Tenex). Learn more about these options here.
What is Quadriceps Tendinopathy?
The quadriceps tendon connects the thigh muscles to the patella (knee cap), and helps straighten the knee. Stress is greatest across the quadriceps tendon when jumping and landing, and excessive stress can damage the tendon. Patients often feel increased symptoms when bending the knee, squatting or walking down stairs. Tendonitis (tendinitis) means “inflammation of the tendon,” but we now know that inflammation is not a common cause of tendon pain.
Most tendon injuries are a result of gradual wear and tear. Stress can result in micro tears over time, and the damage can exceed the rate of repair. Micro-damage over time can result in degenerative tears of the tendon and pain.
How do you know if you have Quadriceps Tendinopathy?
Symptoms can include knee pain, and the tendon can be stiff in the morning. Patients can feel increased symptoms when bending the knee, squatting or walking down stairs. Imaging, including a MRI or musculoskeletal ultrasound, will often confirm the diagnosis.
What are the treatments for Quadriceps Tendinopathy?
Nonsurgical options historically included rest, ice, medication, and physical therapy.
In the past when these traditional conservative treatments failed, surgery was recommended. Dr. Sussman now offers alternatives to surgery for chronic tendinopathy include platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, stem cell injections and percutaneous needle tenotomy (Tenex). Learn more about alternatives to surgery here.
What is a meniscus tear?
The meniscus is a cartilage cushion between the two bones in the knee joint. There is a medial (inside of the knee) and a lateral (outside of the knee) meniscus.
The degree of meniscus injury can vary and can occur from an acute injury or can be degenerative.
How do you know if you have a meniscus tear?
Symptoms can include pain with twisting or lateral movements, swelling or a sensation of catching or locking in the knee. The diagnosis can be confirmed with x-rays, MRI or ultrasound.
What are the treatments for meniscal tears?
Nonsurgical treatment includes activity modification (i.e. avoiding deep squats and twisting/pivoting activities), medications, physical therapy, braces and steroid or viscosupplemention injections. Surgery is often offered, but recent studies have shown that tese surgeries are not without complications and may predispose the joint to early-onset arthritis (Longo et al. 2019) with a partial menisectomy increasing the risk of osteoarthritis at least ten to twentyfold (Vangsness et al. 2014).
Dr. Sussman now offers alternatives to surgery
for degenerative meniscus tears, include platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections and autologous stem cell injections. Learn more about alternatives to surgery here.