Surgical Options for the Middle-Aged Patient with Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint*†

Arthritic disease of the knee joint hindering lifestyle choices in an active aging population has become increasingly frequent. The pathology within the knee joint can vary from localized unicompartmental arthritis to end-stage tricompartmental arthritis. Associated conditions include extensive meniscal degeneration, ligamentous instability, localized articular cartilage defects, limb malalignment, and joint-line obliquity. Nonoperative treatments to reduce the pain associated with joint inflammation include activity modification, weight loss, anti-inflammatory or analgesic medications, intra-articular injections, periarticular muscle-strengthening, and stress-offloading with braces or heel-wedges. However, when the pain and associated impairment do not resolve satisfactorily with nonoperative modalities, surgical intervention may be considered.