Knee Arthritis: Understanding Your Treatment Options in Adelaide

Overview

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common joint condition in Australia, affecting approximately 2.2 million Australians. It involves the gradual breakdown of articular cartilage within the knee, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling and reduced function. While it cannot be cured, there are excellent treatment options, both non-surgical and surgical, to reduce pain and improve quality of life.

Who Gets Knee Arthritis?

Risk factors include age (most common over 50), female sex, obesity, previous knee injury or surgery, repetitive occupational knee loading, and a family history of arthritis. However, knee arthritis can occur at any age, particularly following ligament injuries or fractures.

Symptoms

• Pain with walking, stairs, or prolonged standing
• Morning stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes
• Swelling and warmth around the knee
• A grating sensation (crepitus) with knee movement
• Reduced range of movement — difficulty fully bending or straightening the knee
• Bowing of the legs (varus or valgus deformity) in advanced cases

Non-Surgical Treatment

For mild to moderate knee arthritis, conservative treatment should be trialled first:

• Exercise and physiotherapy — strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings reduces load on the joint
• Weight loss — every kilogram of weight reduction reduces knee joint load by 4 kg
• Pain relief — paracetamol, NSAIDs, or topical anti-inflammatories
• Injections — corticosteroid injections for short-term relief; hyaluronic acid injections in selected patients
• Bracing — unloader braces for unicompartmental disease

Surgical Options

When conservative treatment fails to provide adequate relief:

• Total knee replacement (TKR) — resurfaces all three compartments; the most common option for advanced arthritis
• Partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement — resurfaces only the affected compartment; suitable for isolated medial or lateral arthritis
• Knee arthroscopy — limited role in arthritis; may help with mechanical symptoms from loose bodies or meniscal tears
• Osteotomy — realignment procedure to offload the arthritic compartment; in younger patients with early arthritis

When to See a Surgeon

We recommend a surgical consultation if your pain is significantly limiting your daily activities, walking is restricted to short distances, conservative treatment has been tried for 3–6 months without adequate relief, or your X-rays show bone-on-bone arthritis.

Further Reading

Dr Liew has written in more detail about this topic on his own site: knee arthritis and non-operative management of knee arthritis.