Gonarthrosis & knee prosthesis

What is gonarthrosis?

Gonarthrosis (knee arthrosis, osteoarthritis of the knee) is a disease in which the knee joint or the cartilaginous articular surfaces of the knee joint increasingly wear out.

Causes of osteoarthritis of the knee can include: congenital / acquired misalignments, previous injuries such as a meniscus tear, diseases such as inflammation in the knee joint.

What kind of complaints do you have?

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee are pain in the affected knee joint, a feeling of stiffness and restricted mobility. At first, the complaints only occur during exercise. However, as the disease progresses, the pain can also be felt at rest.

Is an operation always necessary?

The option of non-surgical osteoarthritis therapy should always be considered first.

Muscle building and weight reduction with increased exercise and a change in diet should be a cornerstone of the treatment. Physiotherapy / remedial gymnastics is a useful addition.

Therapy with anti-inflammatory injections, cartilage cures with hyaluronic acid and autologous blood therapy (PRP) can help to alleviate pain in the knee joint and slow down the progression of the disease, especially when only moderate osteoarthritis is present. The exact course of therapy is based on the causes and severity of the osteoarthritis of the knee and other factors such as the patient’s age and activity level.

More to Arthrosis Therapy

Does arthroscopy make sense for osteoarthritis of the knee?

A joint-preserving arthroscopy (joint mirroring) is only useful in rare cases of gonarthrosis. However, this procedure can be considered if there is only moderate wear and an additional new meniscus tear.

When does an artificial joint replacement / knee prosthesis make sense?

If the pain does not improve and the osteoarthritis progresses, an artificial knee joint should be used. The timing of the operation is based on the severity of the complaints. The main criteria are a strong reduction in quality of life and mobility, increasing restriction of movement of the knee joint, pain at night and regular use of painkillers.

What is a knee prosthesis?

A knee prosthesis is an artificial replacement for the worn out cartilaginous knee surface. If the surface of the entire knee joint is affected, a total endoprosthesis is used, a so-called surface replacement . The worn cartilage is removed from the thigh and lower leg. The ligament structures such as the collateral ligaments and the patella ligament are retained. Then the surface on the thigh and lower leg is replaced with a metallic coating like a dental crown. An insert made of a highly cross-linked polyethylene (plastic) is placed between the metal parts as a sliding pair.

If only part of the cartilage surface is worn out, a partial knee replacement can be used. In this case, only the affected surface is replaced. Usually this affects the inner (medial) knee joint.

The exact decision as to which knee prosthesis can be used is made after a detailed examination and clarification by means of X-rays and possibly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Only knee prostheses from well-known companies with excellent long-term results are used at the Speising Orthopedic Hospital.