Sports and Joint Injuries

Degenerative Knee Arthropathy / Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis or gonarthrosis is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by the progressive wear and tear of the articular cartilage of the knee, producing pain, inflammation, stiffness and progressive functional limitation.

It is one of the main causes of musculoskeletal pain and disability in adults and the elderly, and can significantly affect the patient’s mobility, functional autonomy and quality of life.

The knee is a crucial weight-bearing joint for walking and body stability. Degenerative joint processes can progressively alter its normal biomechanics, leading to chronic pain and functional impairment.

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What happens in knee osteoarthritis?

The knee joint is formed by the femur, tibia, and patella, covered by articular cartilage that allows for smooth, frictionless movement.

With aging and progressive degenerative processes, the following may appear:

Wear and tear and loss of articular cartilage
Synovial inflammation
Osteophyte formation
Associated meniscal degeneration
Stiffness and decreased mobility
Biomechanical alterations of joints
Pain and progressive functional limitation

In advanced stages, joint deformity and significant deterioration of functional capacity may occur.

What are the most frequent causes?

Knee osteoarthritis can develop due to multiple factors, including:

Age-related degeneration
Biomechanical overload and obesity
Previous sports injuries and trauma
Meniscal and ligamentous injuries
Alterations in the axis and alignment of the limbs
Work or sports overload
Inflammatory joint diseases
Genetic and degenerative factors

In many patients, meniscal lesions, ligamentous instability, and associated biomechanical alterations coexist.

What are the most common symptoms?

Symptoms usually progress gradually and can vary depending on the degree of joint degeneration.

The most common symptoms include:

Knee pain
Joint stiffness
Inflammation and joint effusion
Pain when walking or climbing stairs
Progressive functional limitation
Sensation of joint locking or crepitus
Instability or loss of strength
Difficulty performing daily activities

In advanced stages, the pain may appear even at rest or during the night.

Specialized diagnosis and precision medicine

The diagnosis requires an adequate clinical, biomechanical and radiological assessment to determine the degree of joint degeneration and the functional impact.

Comprehensive evaluation allows for individualized treatment and the selection of the most appropriate techniques for each patient.

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis

The treatment will depend on the degree of degeneration, the symptoms, and the patient’s functional needs.

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS we provide a comprehensive and personalized approach through conservative, interventional, regenerative and minimally invasive surgical treatments.

Among the available therapeutic options, the following stand out:

Specialized pharmacological treatment
Physiotherapy and advanced functional rehabilitation
Biomechanical correction and muscle strengthening
High-precision ultrasound-guided infiltrative treatments
Intra-articular viscosupplementation
Radiofrequency ablation of the genicular nerves of the knee
Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Cell Therapies
Neuromodulation and advanced pain control
Arthroscopy and minimally invasive surgery

Genicular radiofrequency and regenerative therapies allow many patients to reduce pain, improve mobility, and delay the functional progression of the disease.

At VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS we have a highly specialized unit in knee pathology, regenerative medicine and advanced musculoskeletal intervention, offering personalized treatments using techniques of maximum precision and minimal invasiveness.

Our goal is to relieve pain, preserve joint function, and improve the patient’s mobility and quality of life.

VERTEBRA Clinic has a Laboratory with a Clean Room (Safety Level III/IV) for the cultivation and storage of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and other Orthobiological products for AUTOLOGOUS administration (from the patient himself) in degenerative conditions of the Spine and Joints.