The knee joint is the joint most prone to wear and tear issues, which has long troubled many middle-aged and elderly individuals. Once problems arise in the knee joint, the doctor will provide different treatment options depending on the severity.
Mr. Liu, who is 67 years old, works in boat maintenance. Due to his job, he has to perform squatting and standing movements for long periods, resulting in wear and tear in both knees, with the left leg being particularly severe, affecting his mobility in recent years.
Mr. Liu, a knee degeneration rehabilitation patient, stated: "At first, there was some pain, but it gradually got worse. The pain became so severe that I couldn't walk. Sometimes I had to hold onto something to stand up, and it hurt to stand. After standing, I needed to stay still for a while before I could walk."
Generally, the average onset age for knee degeneration is over 55 years. Individuals who are obese or frequently carry heavy loads are even more likely to experience early degeneration of the knee joint.
Orthopedic specialist Dr. Cheung Man Hong believes: "In the early stages of knee degeneration, the initial symptom for patients is knee pain. Generally, they may not struggle much when walking on flat surfaces, but the first problems usually arise during exercise, running, or more commonly, when going up or down stairs. Typically, patients find going down stairs more painful than going up."
When physical therapy or medication fails to effectively alleviate the pain, injection treatments are considered to improve the situation.
Dr. Cheung stated: "Most patients find that injections of hyaluronic acid provide some degree of relief for joint pain, but the effect usually lasts only six to nine months, which is not very long. There are now some newer injection treatments known as platelet-rich plasma therapy."
However, if the cartilage in the knee joint is worn down severely enough to affect mobility, as in Mr. Liu's case, knee replacement surgery is necessary.
