Hip and Knee

Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

A normal knee glides smoothly because cartilage covers the ends of the bones that form joints. Osteoarthritis damages this cartilage, progressively wearing it away. The ends of the bones become rough like sandpaper. This damaged cartilage can cause the joint to "stick" or lock and your knee may get painful, stiff and lose range of motion.

If your knee is severely damaged by arthritis or injury, it may be hard for you to perform simple activities such as walking or climbing stairs. You may even begin to feel pain while you're sitting or lying down. Symptoms may include:

• Severe knee pain that limits your everyday activities, including walking, going up and down stairs, and standing up from a chair. You may find it hard to walk more than a few blocks without significant pain and you may need to use a cane or walker.
• Moderate or severe knee pain while resting, day or night.
• Chronic knee inflammation and swelling that doesn't improve with rest or medications.
• Knee deformity a bowing in or out of your knee.
• Knee stiffness inability to bend and straighten your knee.
• Failure to get pain relief from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These medications, including aspirin and ibuprofen, often are most effective in the early stages of arthritis. Their effectiveness varies from person to person and may become less effective for patients with severe arthritis.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007