Improvements in degenerative knee joints include conservative treatments such as rest, medications and physical therapy, and in severe cases, surgery.
The disease usually occurs in the elderly, and clinical symptoms include limited movement of the medial knee joint, pain, and joint deformity, which can be diagnosed and staged with imaging tests such as MRI, X-ray, and CT.
In mild cases, treatment includes reducing activities, avoiding joint weight bearing and excessive exercise; using non-steroidal drugs such as celecoxib, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc., or cartilage nutrients such as dextrose; and localized physical therapy such as hot compresses, medicated baths, acupuncture, etc., to alleviate the symptoms. The medication should be prescribed by the doctor.
If conservative treatment is ineffective and symptoms gradually worsen, surgical interventions can be used, such as microneedle therapy, arthroscopic injection of sodium vitrate or knee-preserving surgery, and in severe cases, even knee replacement is needed. For unicompartmental osteoarthritis, some relatively younger middle-aged and elderly patients can be treated with osteotomy and knee-preserving surgery.
Patients with degenerative knee joints are advised to go to the hospital in time, improve the examination to clarify the cause of the disease, and then give targeted treatment or therapy.