Knee Arthritis

Knee Arthritis is a wearing down or breakdown of the smooth surfaces of the cartilage and bone in the knee, leading to joint pain, stiffness, and loss of motion.

How does this happen?
Arthritis of the knee can have several causes, the most common being osteoarthritis, often referred to as degenerative arthritis. Other causes include inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. Also, prior trauma or infection to the knee can cause arthritis.

How will we know this is your problem?
A history and physical exam along with radiographs (X-rays) will help to make the diagnosis. Symptoms include pain with activity, swelling, decreased motion and possibly a deformity. Pain from knee arthritis is typically located on either side of the knee joint. Radiographs will show decreased joint space and possibly a mal-alignment (either bow-leg or knock-knee). Your doctor may order other advanced imaging studies such as MRI to assist with the diagnosis and treatment plan.

How can this be treated?
Treatment usually begins with activity modification, physical therapy, walking aids such as a cane, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or injections. If conservative treatment fails to give relief, surgery may be indicated. This could include a knee arthroscopic procedure to “clean out” the joint, a re-alignment surgery (osteotomy), or replacing your knee with a new knee joint, called total knee arthroplasty. This involves replacing the diseased joint with one made of metal and plastic.

These are the Doctors You Want!
Dr. Fernando Sanchez, Dr. William Sherman and Dr. Charles Billings are fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeons specializing in Adult Joint Replacement Surgery. Click each doctors name to find the surgeon that’s right for you.

**Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has selected Tulane Health System as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Knee and Hip Replacement, part of its Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations.

Facilities designated as Blue Distinction Centers® for Knee and Hip Replacement demonstrate expertise in total knee and total hip replacement surgeries, resulting in fewer patient complications and hospital re-admissions.