A few thoughts on knee pain in the older adult population: Knee pain in the middle and older adult is often characterized as “osteo-arthritis” and a total knee replacement is often in the conversation.  However, if upon x-ray, there is no significant arthritic changes in the knee the joint, having a joint replacement may not be your best choice-since there is not a clear anatomical reason for the ongoing knee pain. 

 

So what are the other reasons for knee pain if it’s not osteoarthritis? Many factors relate to knee pain, including overall fitness level, body weight, strength of the entire leg, joint stiffness of the ankle or hip, poor tracking of the knee cap and a lack of muscular flexibility are just a few. Seek the help of your physical therapist to determine what can be done and avoid surgery that may not be the right choice anyway.