When it comes to joint pain, nothing is quite as common as patients who feel it most in their knees. Even though your knee pain may have felt like it came out of nowhere, there are three common culprits that may be causing it. Let’s take a closer look at them to see if you fit into one of these categories.
Osteoarthritis of the Knee
If you are over the age of 50 and are experiencing knee pain, then it may be due to a condition called osteoarthritis of the knee. Because osteoarthritis is slow developing, you may have had it for years without ever knowing about it. This degenerative form of arthritis usually occurs when the knee cartilage wears away at the joint space between the bones of the knee. In extreme instances, it may result in bone on bone joint pain.
Avascular Necrosis
This condition is usually caused after some sort of trauma or accident in which the bone loses blood supply. Because bones are living tissues, if their blood supply is interrupted, the bone will begin to die and collapse if left untreated. As you can imagine, this process will lead to some knee pain.
Post-Traumatic Arthritis
We see this form of arthritis in joints all across the body including knees, shoulder, elbows, and hips, but it can also occur in your knees. Post-traumatic arthritis is a form of osteoarthritis but rather than it being caused by age, it’s usually caused by injury or another form of trauma.
These are just three of the common culprits of knee pain, but it can be caused by many different factors as well. If you suffer from knee pain, let Dr. John Moore help you find some relief. Schedule your consultation at our Pinehurst office today and call us at 910.295.0224.
