Dislocated Knee Topic Guide

Edema is a condition in which fluid builds up in tissues in certain parts of the body causing swelling, pain, redness, and soreness. There are various types of edema. The most common type is peripheral edema, which affects the arms, legs, ankles, and feet. Edema is caused by many diseases and health problems like water retention, lymphedema, blood clots in the leg.

Many conditions or injuries may cause knee pain, but you should see a doctor if you have trouble bearing weight, the pain is intense and does not go away, you notice a deformity of the joint or other indications your knee pain is serious.

Total knee replacement (total knee arthroplasty) surgery replaces parts of the knee joint with artificial (prosthetic) parts. A total knee replacement is considered a major operation, and may be indicated when other treatments (weight loss, exercise and physical therapy, medications, injections, and bracing) have failed to relieve the pain, which must be significant and disabling. Total knee replacement is usually used to relieve pain caused by severe arthritis, restore function to an arthritic knee, correct a significant deformity, or treat severe patellofemoral arthritis.

Knee injuries may be caused by a direct blow to the knee or by twisting or stretching of the ligaments, tendons, and surrounding muscles. Knee pain and swelling are common symptoms and signs of a knee injury. Treatment depends upon the type of knee injury but usually incorporates rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Strengthening exercises and physical therapy may also be necessary.

The procedure of knee joint replacement is called a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This surgery involves replacing your knee joint with a manmade one. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis commonly cause loss of knee function that necessitates a knee joint replacement.

Knee pain has a wide variety of causes and treatments. Home care for knee pain includes protecting the knee from further trauma, in addition to resting, icing, compressing, and elevating the knee. In order to diagnose knee pain, the doctor may need to perform a physical exam; get a diagnosis with an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI; remove fluid; perform blood tests; or perform an arthroscopy. Treatment of knee pain depends upon the cause of the knee pain.

Though pain after surgery is common, there are ways to minimize and manage this pain. Treatment for pain after surgery can include over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as Acetaminophen (Tylenol), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs ibuprofen [Advil/Motrin]) and naproxen (Anaprox, Aleve), and opioids (morphine [Roxanol], fentanyl [Sublimaze], oxycodone [Percolone], and levorphanol [Levo-Dromoran]).

The effects of pain medication are different for each person. Pain also varies in tolerance as well from person to person. There are several different pain medications such as NSAIDS, acetaminophen, and narcotics. The most commonly prescribed narcotics are morphine (MS Contin, Avinza, Kadain, Oramorph), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone, M-oxy, ETH-Oxydose, Oxyfast, OxylR), fentanyl (Duragesic, Fentanyl Patch), oxymorphone (Opana), and methadone (Methadose) Narcotic pain medications can lead to physical addiction. Symptoms of physical addiction to narcotics include flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bone aches, feeling like you are "crawling out of your skin," goose bumps, chills, tremor, and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms are all medical concerns and should be treated medically.