If your parents have arthritis, you may also get it. Trauma - can also lead to osteoarthritis. A bad fall or blow to the knee can injure the joint. If the injury does not heal properly, extra force may be placed on the joint, which over time can cause the cartilage to wear away. Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus and psoriatic arthritis are inflammatory in nature.
Doctors diagnose arthritis with a medical history, physical exam and x-rays of the knee.
Conservative, or non-surgical, treatment is effective in the early stages of arthritis. Pain can sometimes be relieved through anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone shots or physical therapy. These methods can ease pain temporarily and, sometimes, permanently. The surgery to implant the prosthesis is termed a total knee replacement. Only the surface of the joint is removed - the arthritic ends of the bones are shaved off and replaced with new metal and plastic surfaces.