History
Patients with knee arthritis usually describe a gradual onset of knee
pain, restricted motion and activities, and pain at rest.
The physical examination
Findings of knee arthritis may include:
painful gait on the involved side which
causes a limp.
a knock-kneed or bowlegged condition. Most
often there is a loss of complete extension (flexion contracture),
and the inability to fully bend the knee.
Very often there is swelling.
Frequently bone spurs may be felt on the
inside or outside of the joint.
When
the knee is moved through a range of motion, crepitus is present.
There is usually tenderness around the inside and outside portions
of the joint line.
It is important to distinguish knee arthritis from hip arthritis or
disc degeneration in the lumbar spine, since the symptoms are similar.
Diagnostic test and imaging
Usually, plain X-rays will show the presence of arthritis and any abnormalities
in the alignment of the lower leg and changes in the mechanical axis.
MRI scanning is usually not necessary to diagnose knee arthritis. There
are four classic features of knee arthritis:
Joint space narrowing
Flattening of the femoral condyle
(the end of the femur)
History
