Knee arthritis

Knee arthritis is knee joint degeneration.

Common causes include age-related wear and tear, post-traumatic injury to the knee, post knee infection and inflammatory conditions to the knee.

Malalignment of the knee joint may be a contributing factor in the aetiology of knee OA¹
Realignment osteotomies around the knee reduce force/area2 in the affected degenerative compartment, facilitating return to functional activity levels²
Knee arthroplasty restores alignment

Knee arthroplasty principles include the restoration of knee alignment, range of motion with pain relief in a well-balanced knee
Malalignment during uni knee replacement (UKA) can predispose to implant aseptic loosening (>2mm difference between implant & contralateral space, ³) or an increased risk of contralateral compartment OA³

Knee arthritis can be managed non operatively or surgically with a knee replacement

Alignment and osteoarthritis of the knee. Hunter D.J, Sharma L, Skaife T. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009; 91 Suppl 1 :85-89.
High rates of return to sports activities and work after osteotomies around the knee: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Hoorntje A, Witjes S, Kuijer PP, Koenraadt KL, Van Geenen RC, Daams JG, Getgood A, Kerkhoffs GM.Sports Med 2017 April 11.
Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: does tibial component position influence clinical outcomes and arthroplasty survival? Chatellard R, Sauleau V, Colmar M, et al., Societe d’Orthopedie et Traumatologie de IO. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2013; 99(4 Suppl): S219.
The geometry of the tibial plateau and its influence on the biomechanics of the tibiofemoral joint. Hashemi R.C, Chandrashekar N, Gill B, Beynnon B.D, Slauterbeck J.R, Schutt R.C, Mansouri H, Dabezies E. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008 Dec; 90(12): 2724-34.

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