| When the knee develops Osteoarthritis, symptoms set in that are similar to rheumatoid arthritis of the knee. Synovitis takes place, causing the top coating of the cartilage to slowly disintegrate. The thinned down cartilage causes the femur and tibia – the bones that make up the knee – to chafe against each other, bone scraping on bone.
The resulting pain, swelling and incapacity of joint movement eventually leads to a deformity of the joint and its surrounding tissue. Osteophyte formation occurs, bone spurs that develop along the periphery of the joint which separate from the bone in due course, clogging joint space and adding to pain and joint decay. |
