Osteoarthritis is more common in the populations above the age of 45. Men are prone to get arthritis below the ages of 45 while women are more prone to arthritis above the ages of 45.

In India alone, more than 180 million people battle arthritis every day. Some of the common risk factors of arthritis are:

Osteoarthritis progresses as time goes by. The most common symptoms for this disorder are:

X-rays alone are enough to diagnose arthritis in most cases.

Firstly, surgery is not the only option to get rid of osteoarthritis. It’s the last resort and Dr. Arumugam will suggest a surgery only when alternate treatment methods like food habits, vitamin tablets and injections don’t lessen the pain.

Although Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect people of any age, it is most common among 30-50-year-olds. Again, this doesn’t mean that it cannot affect children and elderly patients.

Women are more likely to be affected by Rheumatoid Arthritis than men. Risk factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis include:

Unlike Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis symptoms start escalating within a short span of time. You’ll start feeling fatigued, be plagued by mild fevers, have morning stiffness along with pain, inflammation, and redness.

Moreover, there are periods in which these symptoms worsen and subside. The former is called having a “flare”.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is difficult to diagnose in the early stages. And if the symptoms mentioned above persist for more than 6 weeks, your doctor might consider these to be symptoms of RA.

You’ll also be asked to take blood tests to confirm if you have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

There is no cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis because it’s an auto-immune disorder. But medications and physiotherapy can make your life easier.

You’ll be prescribed certain anti-inflammatory drugs and immuno-suppressants to keep your symptoms from worsening.

Regular exercise and physiotherapy will also help you deal with the inflammation and pain. When everything fails and your pain worsens, surgery is an option.

Like Meniscal tears, ACL tears are most likely to affect sportspeople. But anyone who stops suddenly or puts all their body weight on the knees may undergo an ACL tear.

This injury is most common in basketball, soccer, and football players. Skiing can also cause this injury.

Women who play sports are seven times more likely to tear their meniscus than men. So far, sports medicine experts haven’t been able to decode the reason behind this.

If you’ve torn your ACL, you’ll:

• Hear a “pop” sound in your knee.
• Feel that your knees are suddenly giving away. The knees will start buckling and won’t be able to support your weight.
• Have a swollen and deformed knee.

Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and compare your injured knee to the non-injured one. They’ll check your knee and ask you to bend it in order to see how far it can be bent.

If nothing is clear from performing a physical examination, your doctor will ask you to get an MRI or perform an arthroscopy to see if your ligament is torn.

Normally, the ACL tear is treated by the RICE method. You’ll have to Rest, Ice the joint, apply Compression, and Elevate the injured knee.

Your doctor will prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and ask you to wear knee braces to help you walk around.

Once the pain in your knee subsides, your doctor will ask you to undergo physiotherapy to stabilise and strengthen your knee joints. You’ll be able to walk without feeling as though your knee might give away any moment.

A Posterior Cruciate Ligament tear takes place during accidents when the knee smashes against the dashboard of the vehicle with force.

It can also take place when a player falls forward on a bent knee with a considerable amount of force. This is common in football and basketball.

Some of the first symptoms that you see when you have a Post Cruciate Ligament tear are:

• Mild swelling in the knee joint without a feeling that the knee is about to buckle.
• Moderate pain in the back of the knee that worsens when you bend it.
• Some pain in the front of the knee that worsens when you run or slow down.

When you show up for a visit to the doctor, they’ll ask you to describe the fall to get an idea of what your injury might be.

Then the doctor will conduct a physical examination on your injured knee and compare it to the uninjured knee to see how much the knee has deformed or swollen. They might also tug your knee slightly to know exactly where it hurts.

No matter how severe your tear is, your first priority must be to reduce the swelling and pain in the joint.

To do this, you’ll have to follow the RICE method. Get plenty of rest, Ice the swollen area, apply Compression, and Elevate the joint.

Once the swelling has reduced, you’ll be asked to undergo therapy or surgery depending on the severity of the tear.

The elderly population are more prone to getting chondral injuries as a result of falls. More than 10% of people aged over 40 are affected by Chondral injuries. 

Chondral injuries are difficult to diagnose because the symptoms may not be apparent. 

A regular physical exam may show swelling but it may not be enough to rule it as  a chondral injury. X-rays and MRIs are also not that effective in diagnosing chondral injuries. 

The most accurate way to diagnose a chondral injury is by using an arthroscope. The doctor will insert an arthroscope inside the joint and visually assess the damage caused to the joints. 

Chondral injuries can be treated by surgical and non-surgical means. Non-surgical methods include exercise, changes to diet, injections, supplements, and weight management. 

Surgical methods include shaving, microfracture abrasion, etc. Choosing a surgical method depends on many factors like:

• Age of the patient. 
• Weight of the patient. 
• Where the tear is located. 
• The size of the tear.
• The patient’s future goals
• How active the patient is and how much they’ll be able to engage in therapy after the operation. 

Sportspersons are more prone to injuring their Collateral Ligaments while falling. People who play soccer, football, and basketball regularly also have a higher chance of acquiring Collateral Ligament Injuries. 

Collateral Injuries can be diagnosed using an X-ray or MRI.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan helps detect any stretching or tears in the tissue through 3-D images. So, it’ll help your doctor find out if you’ve a Collateral Ligament Injury. 

X-rays only detect broken bones. So, this might not be sufficient for your doctor to make a diagnosis.

Like other ligament injuries, collateral injuries can be treated with the RICE method. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. 

Rest your leg.

Ice the affected area  at least 3-4 times a day for 15-20 minutes.

Compress your knee using an elastic wrap or bandage. 

Elevate your leg above your heart. 

You can ask your doctor for anti-inflammatories and painkillers too. You’ll also have to work with a physiotherapist during this period to regain strength and walk properly

If the pain is unbearable even after self-care, you must consult a doctor.

Patellar Disorder is more likely to affect sports people who tend to jump on hard surfaces. For example, basketball and volleyball players. 

It’s also common in sports where players tend to rotate their torso a lot. For example, baseball. 

A patellar injury can also be caused due to an injury or accident as mentioned above.

Your doctor will ask you questions and conduct a physical examination to determine if you’ve a knee injury. 

X-rays only detect broken bones. So, this might not be sufficient for your doctor to make a diagnosis.

He’ll also ask you to get an MRI to better diagnose your injury.

To treat a patellar disorder, you must:

• Apply ice to the knee regularly. 
• Take a break from physical activity like running and squatting. 
• Stretch regularly and focus on doing exercises that improve strength. Speak to a physical therapist to help you choose exercises according to your condition. 
• Use the knee brace for extra support
• Put on the right shoes or use shoe inserts (orthotics) to improve the position of your feet.

A Knee Fracture occurs when the patella is broken due to falls, sports activities, and direct blows to the knee. 

In cases of accidents, there is also a risk of infection if the wound starts bleeding. 

• If the knee has an open wound, you might need surgery to treat the fracture. The doctors will also provide treatment to reduce/prevent the infection and control the bleeding. 
• The doctor will proceed to move the bones to the right position. You’ll be given the right medication so that you don’t feel any pain during the procedure. 
• If the fracture is complicated, your surgeon will also use pins, wires, screws, plates, and rods to hold the bones in place. 
• Your doctor will put your leg in braces, knee immobilizers, or casts to support it and keep it from moving while it heals. 
• If you have your leg in a cast, make sure to keep it dry and cover it with plastic. You mustn’t insert anything into it, as it might lead to further infection and injury. 
• In case of a mild fracture, apply ice packs to the affected area, and keep your knee as straight as possible. 

Your doctor will ask you questions and conduct a physical examination to determine if you’ve a knee injury. 

X-rays only detect broken bones. So, this might not be sufficient for your doctor to make a diagnosis.

He’ll also ask you to get an MRI to better diagnose your injury.

Knee Tendon Injuries are more common in people who are involved in sports or activities that involve a lot of running and jumping. For example, basketball and gymnastics. 

A Patellar Tendon Tear can be diagnosed in different ways:

• Your doctor might conduct a physical knee examination to determine if you have a patellar tendon tear. They’ll ask you about the activities you’re involved in or if you’ve recently had a blow to your knee.

Patellar Tendon Tear cannot simply be detected using physical examination. So, your doctor might ask you to get an MRI to get a better idea of the injury and the damage caused because of it.

There are different ways to treat a Patellar Tendon Tear:

These include:

• Physiotherapy. Your doctor will prescribe plenty of rest and ask you to work with a physiotherapist to get back on your feet. 
• Plasma Injections. These injections will repair the tissue damage and cause your tendons to heal. 
• Shockwave Therapy is a safe and effective process to revive the body’s natural healing process.