Knee osteoarthritis, or gonarthrosis, is a degenerative condition that affects millions of people, undermining quality of life with pain, stiffness, and movement limitations. If you've been diagnosed with it or live daily with these symptoms, you know how frustrating it can be. Traditional therapies, such as hyaluronic acid injections, often offer only temporary relief. But today, the frontier of medicine has shifted toward a more promising horizon: regeneration.
At Istituto Image, under the scientific guidance of Professor Carlo Tremolada, a pioneer in this field, we offer a revolutionary approach to treating knee osteoarthritis. Through the minimally invasive Lipogems methodology for knee osteoarthritis, we harness your own body's regenerative potential to address the problem at its root, offering an effective and lasting solution, often with a single application.
What is Knee Osteoarthritis: Main Causes and Symptoms
Knee osteoarthritis is a chronic condition that develops when cartilage, the smooth and elastic tissue covering the ends of bones in the joint, progressively wears down. This protective layer, as it thins, loses its ability to cushion movements, causing bone surfaces to rub against each other.
The causes are multifactorial and include:
- Aging: Natural wear and tear is one of the main factors.
- Overweight and obesity: Excess weight increases the load on knees, accelerating cartilage deterioration.
- Previous trauma: Fractures, ligament injuries (such as ACL) or meniscus damage can trigger post-traumatic arthritic processes.
- Genetic factors: There is a family predisposition to developing the condition.
- Demanding work or sports activities: Professions or sports involving repeated joint overload.
Initial symptoms are often mild and intermittent, later becoming more constant and debilitating. The most common include:
- Pain: Initially present during movement, like climbing stairs or after exertion, it can become constant even at rest or during the night.
- Joint stiffness: Especially in the morning or after long periods of inactivity.
- Swelling: Often associated with joint effusion.
- Functional limitation: Difficulty fully bending or extending the knee.
- Crackling and crunching: Sensation of "sand" inside the joint during movement.
Osteoarthritis Diagnosis: When to Consider Lipogems Treatment
An accurate diagnosis is the fundamental first step. The journey begins with a specialist orthopedic consultation, during which the doctor will evaluate the patient's clinical history and knee joint mobility. Instrumental examinations like X-rays are essential to confirm the diagnosis, showing joint space reduction and the presence of any osteophytes (small bone growths). In some cases, an MRI may be requested to assess soft tissue status, such as menisci and ligaments.
