If you have been suffering from osteoarthritis in your knee, you may start wondering about whether surgery could help ease your pain and increase your mobility. When deciding whether or not to consider a surgical procedure, look for the following signs indicating that your condition may be severe enough for surgery.
Knee Becomes Unstable
Whenever you walk up stairs or bend your knee to get into your vehicle, you may have noticed that you are having trouble doing so without losing your balance. You may even have had times when your knee gave way completely while you were bending it, making you either come close to or actually falling.
As the joints become severely worn down, they are no longer able to fully support your knee when it bends. As a result, your knee may become unstable while walking or using your leg to lower or lift yourself up. If this is happening to you frequently, you should have your orthopedic doctor examine your knee to determine the severity of your osteoarthritis.
Grinding Sensation When You Bend Your Knee
Another symptom you may notice when your osteoarthritis becomes severe enough for surgery is a grinding sensation whenever you bend your knee. Because the joints are no longer able to fully provide cushioning, the ends of your bones will start rubbing together.
If you can feel the bones grinding together, this sign is a good indication that something needs to be done about your knee. Without the joints to pad the gap between the bones, the grinding will wear down your bones. This wear then leads to weakening of the bones, which could cause a stress fracture.
Pain Inhibits Your Regular Routine
Either alone or along with the symptoms described above, pain that inhibits your regular routine could make you a candidate for surgery to repair your knee. If you are unable to climb stairs, walk across the room, or even sleep at night because of the pain, your daily activities are becoming disrupted. If you are unable to enjoy your life because of pain and medications are not helping, it may be time to consider surgery.
If you have experienced any of the above symptoms, your knee's osteoarthritis may be bad enough to require surgery. Make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor so they can fully examine your knee and discuss your options for either adding to your current treatment plan or having a surgical procedure performed. Visit a site like https://www.towncenterorthopaedics.com/ to find out more about orthopedic doctors.
Share