Less knee pain. More life.

Osteoarthritis of the knee

Elderly woman wearing an Ottobock Agilium Freestep sitting on a bank in the garden holding a cup
Elderly woman wearing an Ottobock Agilium Freestep sitting on a bank in the garden holding a cup
Elderly woman wearing an Ottobock Agilium Freestep sitting on a bank in the garden holding a cup
Summary

Take a new path – put a stop to osteoarthritis of the knee

Arthrosis is a widespread disease, with estimates indicating that more than 12 million people in Germany are affected by this joint disease. This group includes young and athletic people, too.

Arthrosis most often develops in the knee. The diagnosis can make those affected feel uncertain. Many fear that they will always have knee pain from now on and that they will need to take analgesics (pain medication) to be able to move. They wonder how long they will still be able to pursue their hobbies or climb the stairs, and at what point they may no longer be able to do anything without a prosthetic knee joint. Isn’t there any other way out of pain besides medication, no way to avoid or delay an operation?

Yes, there is! Put a stop to arthrosis. These days, there are good options for living an active life with arthrosis. In many cases, an orthosis can help reduce the pain – and help you regain your quality of life. Thanks to the appropriate orthosis, surgery can often be avoided. This website will tell you what you need to know about osteoarthritis of the knee. You will also find tips and information that will help you live your life with this disease on your own terms.

Devices for osteoarthritis of the knee

If you have arthrosis, an Ottobock orthosis can help alleviate pain and reduce the strain on your knee joints.

Condition

Symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee

Osteoarthritis of the knee (or “knee OA” for short) is a degenerative condition of the knee joint. It is incurable and leads to progressive changes in the knee. In the initial stage of arthrosis, you don’t experience any pain or restrictions in movement, or only at times. With advanced osteoarthritis of the knee, pain and discomfort can increase. Most people develop arthrosis over their lives due to wearing of the joints. Risk factors such as obesity, joint malposition, lack of exercise, overloading and incorrect loading of the joints in some types of sports or injuries accelerate joint wear and tear and can also create the conditions for arthrosis to develop in young people.

Arthrosis changes the joint

Because it’s a degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis of the knee typically starts with signs of degeneration and/or minimal damage in the joint cartilage. As time passes, the cartilage surface becomes rough and uneven. The joint no longer moves smoothly. It snags and grinds. Increasing friction leads to painful inflammation in the knee, and fluid is effused into the joint capsule. In this condition, also referred to as activated arthrosis, there is constant pain. In the advanced stage of arthrosis, cartilage damage increases and all the tissue involved in the joint is affected. The bones form spurs (osteophytes) to stabilise the joint but cause ankylosis, or stiffening, in the process. Knee pain occurs at increasingly shorter intervals and becomes more severe over time.

Progresija bolesti: stadiji artroze

Medical drawing of a knee arthrosis progression

The vicious circle of arthrosis

Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee frequently get caught in a vicious circle:
In order to relieve the pain in their knee, the affected person exercises less and often adopts a certain posture to avoid discomfort. However, restricting their movement only provides short-term relief from pain. In the long run, a lack of exercise accelerates cartilage wear and increases pain in the knee. The affected person rests their knee even more often instead of exercising it, and the vicious circle closes.
Furthermore, the unnatural posture they take to avoid discomfort also puts excessive strain on other joints such as the hips, which can cause permanent damage.

Drawing of a red circle around a human knee

Initial symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee

The sooner osteoarthritis of the knee is diagnosed and actively addressed, the better the chances of getting knee pain under control, maintaining joint mobility for a long time to come and slowing down the progressive changes in the knee joint.
If you experience the following symptoms in your knee on a recurring basis, you should have it examined by an orthopaedist:

  • Knee pain after rest (start-up pain)

  • Knee pain after unusual exertion

  • Knee pain during certain movements

  • Knee stiffness

  • Grinding and cracking in the knee joint

  • Swelling and inflammation in the knee

Lower body of a person in a garden holding their knee with the hands

عدد 4 من النتائج من إجمالي 4

Diagnosis and therapy

Diagnosis and therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee

If you have knee pain or limited knee function, you should have it examined by an orthopaedist.

Diagnosing osteoarthritis of the knee


Doctor sitting in front of a patient holding an X-ray image of a knee and talking to the patient

Therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee


Pain relief

Orthoses can relieve knee pain

Knee or lower-leg-foot-braces, such as the Agilium Freestep, specifically relieve the painful areas in the knee joint and can provide sustainable relief from knee pain. This has been confirmed by studies. In many cases, orthoses can help those affected by osteoarthritis of the knee to stop using analgesics or decrease the dose of medication. Side effects from the medication are effectively avoided or reduced. Knee or lower-leg-foot-orthoses enable patients with osteoarthritis of the knee to move around and engage in sports with almost no pain. In this way, they’re able to break the vicious circle of pain, lack of exercise and progressive deterioration of the arthrosis.

Most of my patients are very satisfied with the new orthosis. More than half of them have been able to avoid surgery so far.

Portrait of Doctor Stinus
د. ستينوس

Taking a new path with orthoses from Ottobock

Find out about the experiences that patients with osteoarthritis of the knee have had and how they are taking new paths with orthoses from Ottobock.

Orthoses from Ottobock: solutions for different knee problems


الكتيب

Osteoarthritis Agilium Line patient magazine

In the patient information you will receive information on the clinical picture of retropatellar arthrosis. Treatment options and the function of the orthosis are also shown.
In the patient information you will receive information on the clinical picture of retropatellar arthrosis. Treatment options and the function of the orthosis are also shown.

عدد 4 من النتائج من إجمالي 4

Active against arthrosis

Active against arthrosis


Nutrition


Woman standing in a kitchen holding a plate with food and looking outside similing

Exercise in everyday life


Male person wearing an Ottobock Agilium Freestep in a garage kneels in front of a scooter and investigates the spark plug


Christian Krone

Types of sports


Woman wearing an Agilium Freestep 3.0 walking with hiking poles in a green park next to a male person

عدد 4 من النتائج من إجمالي 4

Agilium Move

Agilium Move: special training for osteoarthritis of the knee


Balance exercises

In our Agilium Move balance exercises, former professional skier Christian Neureuther shows you how to specifically train your quadriceps and the muscles that control the knee joint. The exercises for osteoarthritis of the knee will improve your proprioception (self-awareness) of your knee. This, in turn, will improve the interplay between the dynamic muscles and the stabilising muscles used in different movement patterns.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about osteoarthritis of the knee

Back to everyday activities: three steps to an Ottobock orthosis

  1. Here you’ll find an overview of all the orthoses and supports that could potentially help you. Take the list with you to your next doctor’s appointment.
  2. Talk to your doctor about which orthosis is best suited to your symptoms and condition. Your doctor can then write you a prescription for the appropriate orthosis.
  3. Take your prescription to a medical supply company. They’ll give you your new orthosis and adjust it to fit your exact body measurements.

Active again thanks to the Agilium: four people talk about their lives

Christoph with the Agilium Freestep

Christoph has osteoarthritis of the knee. “The Agilium Freestep 3.0 lets me do many things I couldn’t have done before. I can’t imagine a day without the brace anymore.”

Effectiveness proven by studies


Doctor in front of a white background holding an Ottobock Agilium Freestep 3.0 in his hands smiling
Solutions

Our products for osteoarthritis of the knee

Thanks to the Agilium line of products, many satisfied patients have been able to resume their regular everyday activities. Learn more about the individual orthoses and how they help people with osteoarthritis of the knee.

The illustrated products represent treatment examples. Many different factors determine whether a product is actually suitable for you and whether you are capable of taking full advantage of the functionality of the product. Key aspects include your physical condition, fitness and a detailed medical examination. Your doctor or O&P professional will also decide which treatment is best suited to you. We’re here to support you.