Synonyms
Medical: Gonarthrosis
- Knee Joint Arthrosis
- Arthrosis deformans
- Arthrosis of the knee joint
- Cartilage damage in the knee
Definition
Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) is a degenerative disease of the knee joint, which is characterized by the increasing destruction of the joint cartilage with the joint structures such as bone, joint capsule and muscles close to the joint.
Forms of knee arthrosis
Three bones together with a complex capsule and ligament apparatus (collateral and cruciate ligaments) form the framework of the knee joint. These are: If you would like to find out more about the treatment options for cartilage damage in the knee or behind the kneecap, we recommend our topics:
- The thigh (thigh rolls or femoral condyles)
- The head of the tibia (tibial plateau)
- The kneecap (patella).
- Cartilage damage in the knee and
- Cartilage damage behind the kneecap
The picture below shows that the bones have a close contact. In order that pain-free and undisturbed mobility of the knee joint can also take place at the contact surfaces, the bones at the respective contact surfaces are covered with a very smooth, whitish layer of cartilage.
This is the only way to ensure pain-free and undisturbed mobility of the knee joint. In the case of knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis), there is wear and tear of the knee joint. Signs of wear and tear can occur in isolation, or preferably affect the inner or outer part of the knee joint. The more detailed definition of knee arthrosis allows us to recognize which part of the knee joint is mainly affected:
- Medial knee arthrosis: mainly the inner part is affected
- Lateral knee arthrosis: mainly the outer part of the knee joint is affected
- Retropatellar arthrosis: mainly the patella joint surface is affected
- Pangonarthrosis: all three parts of the joint are affected
- Arthrosis of the femoral condyle
- Arthrosis of the tibial plateauTibial plateau
- Thigh muscles (Musculsus quadriceps femoris)
- Thigh bone (femur)
- Thigh tendon (quadriceps tendon)
- Kneecap (patella)
- Patellar tendon (patella tendon)
- Patellar tendon insertion (Tuberositas tibiae)
- Shinbone (Tibia)
- Fibula (fibula)
