Chronic knee pain and disability are often caused by arthritis. There are three very common types of arthritis that cause knee problems. They are: rheumatoid arthritis, traumatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis.

Traumatic Arthritis: Injury causes traumatic arthritis. A fractured knee or tor

n ligaments cause excessive wear and tear on the knee causing the articular cartilage to break down. This painful condition can only become worse with the passage of time.

If the synovial membrane of the knee produces too much synovial fluid, it will over-fill the joint space. The fluid will thicken and become inflamed, and it will damage the knees cartilage. This will cause stiffness and pain and a breakdown of the cartilage. This is rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is commonly experienced by people who are over the age of fifty. A family history of osteoarthritis adds to the chance that a person will have it. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cushion of cartilage between the bones of the knee wears down and softens causing the ends of the bone to grind. This is a very painful condition that causes the knee to stiffen.

Is Knee Replacement The Solution?

Meet with your family, your doctor and your orthopedic surgeon to discuss the pros and cons of total knee replacement. Your doctor is likely to refer you to an orthopedic surgeon who will give you all the details of the operation and explain the alternatives. You will learn about alternative surgeries, such as unicompartmental knee replacement and minimally invasive knee replacement. With this information, you will be able to make an informed decision.

Click here for more on treating knee pain .

Here are some good reasons to have total knee replacement surgery:

Exhaustion of Options: You have tried everything else without success. Once you have gone through physical therapy, cortisone injections, and other types of surgery to no avail, it is definitely time to consider total knee replacement.

Difficulty getting through each day without pain. If it hurts to stand up, sit down, walk, climb stairs, get in your car, get out of your car, and so on, it is time to try total knee replacement. This is also true if you are doing all these things, but you are using a cane or a walker to manage them.

You need total knee replacement surgery if:

Your knee hurts so much you cant bend it or straighten it.

Pain in your knee(s) while at rest.

You are knock-kneed or bow-legged and it is causing pain and problems.

Loss of effectiveness of pain medications. It is important to realize that pain medications like aspirin and ibuprofen may be very effective early on, but as your disease progresses, they tend to lose effectiveness.

Persistent inflammation and swelling that does not subside with medication and rest.

It is important to realize that the effectiveness of medications may vary widely from patient to patient. The more severe your arthritis, the less effective medications will be. Over time, you may build up a tolerance to medications that prevents them from being effective, or you may develop complications that prevent you from being able to use them at all.

Dr. Tarlow is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with over 20 years specializing in knee surgery. He opened his own clinic, Advanced Knee Care, with a focus on specialty patient care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Tarlow, arthroscopic surgeon and torn ACL surgery.