Disease information

Did you know that the prevalence of knee OA in India is nearly 30%?1
Unfortunately, this disease is progressive in nature and can eventually lead to severe joint damage2

Here's what you should know about knee OA3

A painful
condition of
the joint

Occurs when the cartilage (the firm, rubberlike substance that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones forming a joint) starts to break down

Inability of the bone ends to slide smoothly over one another inside the joint, causing pain

It is the commonest form of osteoarthritis4

Disease information

Did you know that the prevalence of knee OA in India is nearly 30%?2
Unfortunately, this disease is progressive in nature and can eventually lead to severe joint damage

Here’s what you should know about knee OA3

You just can’t afford to ignore it

If you ignore knee OA, it could progress from grade I to grade IV, the latter being the most severe in terms of joint damage.5

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Progression of Knee OA from Grade I to Grade IV

You just can’t afford to ignore it

If you ignore knee OA, it could progress from grade I to grade IV, the latter being the most severe in terms of joint damage.5

If you have any of these signs & symptoms, you could be suffering from OA3

Joint pain
  • Pain that comes from deep within the joint
  • Typically, worse with
    joint use and better
    by rest
Stiffness and loss
of movement
  • Limited range of motion
  • Freezing of the joint into a bent position
Swelling with
warmth around
the joint
  • Caused as a response
    to cartilage damage
    and irritation
Cracking of the joint
  • Crunching sounds on moving the joint
  • Due to roughening of the cartilage

If you have any of these signs & symptoms, you could be suffering from OA3

You could develop OA if you have any risk factors4

Advanced
Age
Being
overweight
Overuse
of the joint
Family
history
of OA
Sports
injuries
or other
trauma
Other
illnesses
affecting
the knee

You could develop OA if you have any risk factors4

You don't need to lose heart! You can live with OA6

Use Heat therapy
Take a warm bath
Use a heating pad
Exercise regularly
Increase range of motion
and strengthen your muscles
Build stamina and
improve your balance
Wear the right type of shoes
Avoid heeled shoes, as they
are hard on the knees
Select shoes with only a small
amount of arch support
Plan ahead
Eliminate unnecessary
activities.
Be organized and keep
frequently used items within reach
Eat healthy to
shed/maintain your weight
Consume lots of fruits, veggies,
legumes, and whole grains
Minimize the intake of processed foods

You don't need to lose heart! You can live with OA6

This is what your OA treatment journey could look like7

Mild OA
Disease Progression
Severe OA
Self-help:
simple
painkillers,
external
applications,
supplements
Information
and advice:
education,
weight loss,
exercise,
lifestyle changes
Simple non-surgical options:
prescribed oral painkillers,
corticosteroid injections,
physiotherapy,
supporting devices
Advanced non-surgical options:
Intra articular
injections
Surgical options:
repair/partial or total joint replacement

This is what your OA treatment journey could look like7

Being progressive in nature, OA can eventually lead to disability.8

The symptoms usually become more severe, more frequent, and more debilitating with time.8

The rate of disease progression varies from person to person.2

The current treatment options focus on reducing your pain and disability, but they are not capable of modifying the disease.8

There is the need for a more dependable and restorative approach that focuses on treating the root cause of OA, i.e., damage of the joint cartilage.9

References:

  1. Pal CP, Singh P. Chaturvedi S, Pruthi KK, Vij A. Epidemiology of knee osteoarthritis in India and related factors. Indian J Orthop. 2016;50:518-22.
  2. Rastogi A. Osteoarthritis. National Health Portal [Internet]. 16 Feb 2017. Available from: https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/musculo-skeletal-bone-joints-/osteoarthritis Accessed on 16 Sep 2022.
  3. Fox B, Taylor N. Arthritis for Dummies, 3rd Ed. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2022. p. 29-40.
  4. Knee arthritis. AAOS Orthoinfo. [Internet] Available from: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/globalassets/pdfs/knee-osteoarthritis.pdf Accessed on 21 Sep 2022.
  5. Kohn MD, Sassoon AA, Fernando ND. Classifications in brief: Kellgren-Lawrence classification of osteoarthritis. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474:1886-93.
  6. Shmerling RH, medical editor. Living well with osteoarthritis: A guide to keeping your joints healthy. Boston: Harvard Health Publications. 2016.
  7. Dieppe PA, Lohmander LS. Pathogenesis and management of pain in osteoarthritis. Lancet. 2005;365:965-73.
  8. Hsu H, Siwiec RM. Knee osteoarthritis. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing: 2022 Jan.
  9. Loo SJQ, Wong NK. Advantages and challenges of stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis (Review), Biomed Rep. 2021;15:67.

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