By Enyeribe Ejiogu
Joseph Ibezim is a media and marketing consultant to micro and small business enterprises, who is currently providing informal advice to the Parents Teachers Association of his children’s school on how to attract sponsors for the inter-house sports competition.
As a consultant, Ibezim often goes out prospect for new clients, and endures the stress of driving in Lagos. Like a number of corporate executives, he really loves to be behind the steering himself. “My brother, I hit the road with the mentality that I am the only sane driver on it. The others are crazy, especially the commuter bus drivers, Keke Marwa tricyclists and okada riders (particularly those ones from a certain part of the country who will hit you and still mobilise their brothers to fight you.) So, I watch out for all the crazy other people sharing the road with me,” he told Sunday Sun correspondent in a recent interaction after church service.
But for close to two weeks Ibezim had been walking with a noticeable limp as he evidently made real effort not put his weight on the right leg. Upon inquiry, it came out that the right knee was swollen on the sides – a problem he said has intermittently ruffled his feathers over the last 26 years, from the day he escaped a near fatal accident. On that fateful day, to escape being hit by a speeding car as he crossed the road, he jumped over a concrete drainage but his right foot missed the ground. The result was that his knee hit the edge of the drainage and a sharp pain ran up the leg to the brain. Though Ibezim escaped the being hit by the car, the flesh around the knee swelled up the next morning and was painful. It remained so for about two weeks before it eventually subsided. If he thought the matter ended after the pain and swelling eased, Ibezim was clearly mistaken because over the years, the knee would remind him from time to time about the 1996 incident. And whenever it comes, he fills the pain and discomfort associated with it. With the passage of time and advancement of age, arthritis has set in the knee.
“Arthritis of the knee joint is a serious, painful disease that gets worse with age. Osteoarthritis is the most common type, and you can get it in one or both knees. It is a debilitating disease. The most common symptoms are pain, swelling and stiffness of the knee joint,”
Although there is no cure for knee arthritis, there are steps you can take that might ease your symptoms and potentially slow the progression of your disease.
What is the knee joint?
Three bones come together to form knee joint. They include the: thighbone (femur), shinbone (tibia) and kneecap (patella). A smooth substance called cartilage covers the ends of each bone. It’s a cushion between the bones that keeps them from rubbing together. The synovial membrane, a type of tissue that surrounds the joint, lubricates the cartilage.
Knee arthritis
Several types of arthritis have been identified by medical science, but the most common types that might affect the knees include osteoarthritis, which is condition that results from the wearing away of the cartilage which cushions and protects the bone joints. When this protection is removed, the bones rub against each other. This can cause pain, stiffness and limited movement. It can also lead to the development of bone spurs. Osteoarthritis gets worse as time passes.
Ibezim learnt from his doctor the form of arthritis that has beset his knee is called post-traumatic arthritis, which is a type of osteoarthritis. In post-traumatic arthritis, the cartilage starts thinning after trauma to the knee (like an injury from a car crash or contact sport or in Ibezim’s case where the knee violently hit the hard edge of the concrete drainage and after several years began to show symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Who does arthritis of the knee affect?
In the Southeast of Nigeria, middle life women and those older are all familiar with the local parlance, Ukwu Ndi Christian Mother , which is a funny way of describing knee arthritis which commonly affects women in the middle age bracket. However, it is to be noted that people of all ages can get arthritis, including arthritis of the knee. So, if a person is 50 years or older, there is a higher risk of getting knee arthritis. Women get knee arthritis more often than men.
Arthritis is not restricted to any particular ethnic group, it is global. It is estimated that more than 50 million people have it; and it also affects about 300,000 children. It’s unclear how many of those people have arthritis of the knee.
What are the stages of arthritis of the knee?
There are five stages of osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis that affects your knees:
Stage 0 (Normal): If you’re at stage 0, your knees are healthy. You don’t have arthritis of the knee.
Stage 1 (Minor): Stage 1 means that you’ve got some wear and tear in your knee joint. You probably won’t notice pain.
Stage 2 (Mild): The mild stage is when you might start to feel pain and stiffness, but there’s still enough cartilage to keep the bones from actually touching.
Stage 3 (Moderate): If you’re at the moderate stage, you’ll have more pain, especially when running, walking, squatting, and kneeling. You’ll likely notice it after long periods of rest (like first thing in the morning). You’re probably in a great deal of pain because the cartilage has narrowed even further and there are many bone spurs.
Stage 4 (Severe): Severe osteoarthritis means that the cartilage is almost gone. Your knee is stiff, painful and possibly immobile. You might need surgery.
Symptoms and causes
Experts have identified some genes that might cause arthritis, including arthritis of the knee. They predict that there are more genes not yet discovered. You could have a gene linked to arthritis without knowing it and a virus or injury could trigger arthritis of the knee.
Though the cause is unknown, some risk factors increase the possibility of arthritis of the knee. Risk factors of osteoarthritis, specifically, include:
Age. Osteoarthritis happens to older adults more often than younger adults and children.
Bone anomalies. You’re at a higher risk for osteoarthritis if your bones or joints are naturally crooked.
Gout: Gout, also a type of inflammatory arthritis, might lead to osteoarthritis.
Injuries: Knee injuries can cause arthritis of the knee.
Stress: A lot of stress on your knees from jogging, playing sports or working an active job can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee.
Weight: Extra weight puts more pressure on your knees.
• With additional information from Mayo Clinic