The knee joint is the joint that carries the most weight in the body. For this reason, excessive load is placed on the knee cartilages and especially the kneecap cartilages. This load can reach up to several hundred kilos depending on the weight of the person in movements such as squatting, going up and down stairs. For this reason, the thickest cartilage layer of the body is behind the kneecap.
Why does the knee make a sound?
The friction between the cartilages is very low for the knee joint to carry these loads painlessly. requires it to be. Regardless of the reason, the first symptom of the wear of the cartilage covering the back of the kneecap is a sound coming from the knee. These sounds occur during knee movements, especially when squatting and standing up, and are mostly in the form of "crackling". This sound is largely due to the deterioration of the surface of the kneecap cartilage and the friction of this damaged surface against the opposite bones during movement. This condition is called "chondromalzai patella" in medicine. It should be noted that sometimes sound may be heard from meniscus tears. In this case, the sounds coming from the knee are more in the form of "thumping".
Is it important to hear the sound coming from the knee?
Hearing noise from the knee usually occurs in middle and older ages. However, a sound may also be heard from young people's knees. A sound coming from the knee, especially if it occurs in middle ages (30-45), is a sign of early arthritis. If there is pain along with the sound and this pain occurs especially after sitting and standing or activities performed by bending the knee, it should be investigated. The best course of action at this stage is to consult a physical therapist.
How can the diagnosis be made?
In such cases, knee examination is necessary even if there is no pain. The method of choice is magnetic resonance (MR) examination because it can show cartilage tissue and meniscus very well. With MRI, the cartilages of the knee bones can be seen in detail.
When should it be treated?
A sound coming from the knee does not always indicate a pathology. If there is cartilage damage, that is, chondromalacia patella, on MRI, treatment should be applied even if there is no pain. Otherwise, the knee will slowly become calcified and the damage will become permanent.
How should early cartilage damage in the knee be treated?
This There are three basic principles in the treatment of patients. The first will take good care of the sick knee. In other words, movements such as squatting, going up and down stairs, sitting with knees bent for long periods of time, and sitting cross-legged will be done as little as possible. Second principle; The patient will do exercises to strengthen the knee and the last one will not gain weight, if it is overweight, it will lose weight. Apart from these basic principles, cartilage injections and physical therapy applications may be useful in these knees. PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatment has been used successfully in recent years.
What is PRP treatment?
PRP treatment has been used in the world for the last 4 years and in Turkey. It is a method that has been used for the last 2 years. Approximately 20 cc of blood is taken from the patient intravenously and this blood is subjected to some special processes to obtain PRP, which contains a large number of platelet cells. Platelet-enriched plasma fluid obtained from blood acts like a natural medicine. Natural hormones released from platelet cells administered into the joint by injection stimulate the cells of structures such as cartilage in the area of injury and damage, accelerating the healing in that area. PRP treatment is applied once a month, a total of 3 times
Is PRP treatment an effective treatment for cartilage injuries?
The PRP method, which we have been applying to many knee patients for two years, is especially effective in cartilage injuries. It gives extremely successful results. Its most important advantage is that it has no side effects.
Early cartilage injuries in the knee can be treated very effectively with PRP treatment adhering to basic principles. The point that should not be forgotten is; If early intervention is made, “calcification is not destiny”.
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