Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain in adults. In fact, it will affect nearly half of all Americans in their lifetime and is more prevalent in women than men.
A progressive, inflammatory disease, osteoarthritis will worsen over time. The chronic inflammation can cause significant pain, swelling and stiffness, and actually accelerates the destruction of cartilage within the knee.
Chondrocytes are the cells that maintain cartilage. Osteoarthritis shifts these cells from maintaining tissue to producing destructive enzymes. Instead of repairing cartilage, they start breaking it down. This speeds up degeneration, and the cartilage becomes weaker, thinner and less elastic.
The exact cause of OA is not known but several factors can contribute to its development, including age, being overweight, genetics, and repetitive, stressful activities that impact the knees. Recently, researchers have learned that people with knee osteoarthritis develop abnormal blood vessels (hypervascularity) in the synovium—the lining of the knee. This hypervascularity is shown to contribute to inflammation, pain and the progression of the disease itself.
If the pain is not severe, conservative treatments such as pain medication and physical therapy may be tried. When pain worsens, patients may be encouraged to try gel or corticosteroid injections to manage the pain. In the past, it was believed that these were the steps to be taken before the cartilage had degenerated to the point when total knee replacement surgery was the one remaining option.
Total knee replacement surgery is considered to be the gold standard for treating severe knee osteoarthritis.1 For many, it is their only option to restore knee function and permanently treat the pain. Unfortunately, many people refuse to have this surgery, perhaps because of the long, sometimes painful recovery.2,3
Today, there is another option, for people with moderate to severe knee OA and who still have knee cartilage remaining. It’s called genicular artery embolization (GAE), and if the procedure is performed early enough, may help you avoid knee surgery down the road. See if you qualify for GAE treatment »
Stage 0 (Normal)
Stage 1 (Early)
Stage 2 (Mild)
Stage 3 (Moderate)
Stage 4 (Severe)
You cannot guarantee prevention of OA but you can lower your risk and delay the onset of OA by managing the factors that drive joint wear and inflammation. This includes maintaining a healthy body weight, avoiding joint injuries, building muscle strength around the knees and moderate exercise that doesn’t stress the knee joint.
Your primary care doctor can initially diagnose and evaluate your knees for the signs of OA. Physicians who treat knee OA include orthopedic doctors and surgeons, rheumatologists, and interventional radiologists. Physical therapists are also capable of treating mild to moderate knee OA.
Knee osteoarthritis doesn’t feel the same for everyone, but most people describe a mix of pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility that tends to worsen over time.
You should consider seeing a doctor when your knee pain:
No, knee OA cannot be reversed. Cartilage has a very limited ability to heal or regenerate once it is significantly damaged. However, knee OA can be managed and its progress can be slowed.
Genicular artery embolization (GAE) works by reducing abnormal blood flow and inflammation around the knee joint, which are thought to contribute to pain in knee osteoarthritis.
If you have ongoing knee pain that hasn’t responded to conservative treatments and you are looking for a less invasive option to surgery, GAE may be worth considering.
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Questionnaire
