Swelling of Knee is that problem from which lot of people suffer. Knee joint swelling can occur due to various reasons. It varies from person to person. Somebody suffers from knee swelling due to cause of injury. Some has osteoarthritis as cause behind, some has bursitis as cause. Like that there are different causes that cause knee swelling. Knowledge of them will help in their identification and implementation of avoiding those causes, will help in avoiding some types of knee swelling in future.
Here comes, different causes of knee swelling-
Injury of knee-
Grievous injury of knee can cause a noticeable swelling of knee. This type of swelling has pain on movement as marked symptom. Not only this, there is redness of skin of joint, on touching the red skin of joint feels warm. This type of swelling is also known with name of haemarthrosis because blood from injury comes into joint area.
Osteoarthritis-
Osteoarthritis can also cause knee swelling. But, how osteoarthritis do it? Osteoarthritis do it by damaging cartilage of knee joint. When cartilage of knee joint is damaged, then joint produce more synovial fluid to compensate for damaged cartilage, which results in swelling. Swelling from this cause mostly occurs in aged people, because at that age, cartilage of knee joint starts damaging.
Septic and non-septic Bursitis-
In body, there are located at different places, some fluid filled sacs called bursae. When these sacs are in controlled number and in healthy condition, then there is no problem. But, when these sacs called bursae are no more healthy and get infected with micro-organisms, that condition is known as bursitis.
Gout-
Gout is also one of the culprit that can cause knee swelling. But, how it cause that? Gout do it by over-filling the joint space with uric acid crystals. These crystals are formed from consumption of protein in excess. This type of swelling occurs with rapid speed. Pain, redness and stiffness of joint also occurs with it. Mostly, this type of swelling affects great toe, knee ankle and wrists joints.
Pseudogout-
Pseudogout is that type of knee swelling that can cause knee swelling by formation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Difference between this type of swelling from gout swelling is that it occurs suddenly with pain. Second difference is the area it affects is mostly knee.
Rheumatoid arthritis-
Rheumatoid arthritis also cause knee swelling, but in this cause here is not crystal formation. Cause here is auto-immune disease. Swelling caused by this disease cause pain, stiffness and inflammation of knee joint. This inflammation is responsible for knee swelling.
Baker’s cyst-
Baker’s cyst can also cause knee swelling. But, how it can cause that? It do that by forming a cyst behind knee that is reason for swelling there. Sometimes, this type of swelling cause pain and sometimes not. This type of swelling is easy to treat at home. For that, you have to just rest, apply ice packs, compression and elevate the joint.
Osgood-Schlatter disease-
This disease cause swelling of knee in teenagers. How this disease cause swelling? It do that by causing inflammation of patellar tendon of knee. This type of swelling is nothing to worry about because it goes away as the child grows.
Septic arthritis-
It also cause knee swelling by causing inflammation of knee joint with infective micro-organisms. This type of swelling occurs suddenly with sharp pain in joint, redness and elevated temperature of skin of joint. Sometimes fever also occur in this type of swelling which needs prompt treatment.
Tumour-
Certain type of tumour sometimes are culprit of knee swelling. If knee pain at night, night sweats, fever occur along with knee swelling; then it is indicating towards knee swelling caused by tumour. Tumour that cause swelling can be any, it can be malignant or it can be benign.
Reactive arthritis-
Knee swelling caused by this disease has inflammation as underlying cause, caused by micro-organisms. Pain, swelling, redness of knee joint along with stiffness occurs in this type of swelling.
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Here comes, different causes of knee swelling-
Injury of knee-
Grievous injury of knee can cause a noticeable swelling of knee. This type of swelling has pain on movement as marked symptom. Not only this, there is redness of skin of joint, on touching the red skin of joint feels warm. This type of swelling is also known with name of haemarthrosis because blood from injury comes into joint area.
- Does injury to knee bones can cause this injury? Not only bone, in fact injury to any part of knee joint, whether it is bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage or meniscus of knee joint, injury of any one of them can cause knee swelling.
Osteoarthritis-
Osteoarthritis can also cause knee swelling. But, how osteoarthritis do it? Osteoarthritis do it by damaging cartilage of knee joint. When cartilage of knee joint is damaged, then joint produce more synovial fluid to compensate for damaged cartilage, which results in swelling. Swelling from this cause mostly occurs in aged people, because at that age, cartilage of knee joint starts damaging.
Septic and non-septic Bursitis-
In body, there are located at different places, some fluid filled sacs called bursae. When these sacs are in controlled number and in healthy condition, then there is no problem. But, when these sacs called bursae are no more healthy and get infected with micro-organisms, that condition is known as bursitis.
- Bursitis also cause swelling by over-producing joint fluid and infection in joint cause skin of joint to be red and warm. In this type of swelling, pre-patellar region skin become soft like cushion. Swelling of this type is sometimes accompanied with pain and sometimes without pain.
Gout-
Gout is also one of the culprit that can cause knee swelling. But, how it cause that? Gout do it by over-filling the joint space with uric acid crystals. These crystals are formed from consumption of protein in excess. This type of swelling occurs with rapid speed. Pain, redness and stiffness of joint also occurs with it. Mostly, this type of swelling affects great toe, knee ankle and wrists joints.
Pseudogout-
Pseudogout is that type of knee swelling that can cause knee swelling by formation of calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Difference between this type of swelling from gout swelling is that it occurs suddenly with pain. Second difference is the area it affects is mostly knee.
Rheumatoid arthritis-
Rheumatoid arthritis also cause knee swelling, but in this cause here is not crystal formation. Cause here is auto-immune disease. Swelling caused by this disease cause pain, stiffness and inflammation of knee joint. This inflammation is responsible for knee swelling.
- Swelling caused by this disease is different from others in sense that it affects disease in pairs. If you got swelling in your left knee, then very soon, you are going to have it in your right knee.
Baker’s cyst-
Baker’s cyst can also cause knee swelling. But, how it can cause that? It do that by forming a cyst behind knee that is reason for swelling there. Sometimes, this type of swelling cause pain and sometimes not. This type of swelling is easy to treat at home. For that, you have to just rest, apply ice packs, compression and elevate the joint.
Osgood-Schlatter disease-
This disease cause swelling of knee in teenagers. How this disease cause swelling? It do that by causing inflammation of patellar tendon of knee. This type of swelling is nothing to worry about because it goes away as the child grows.
Septic arthritis-
It also cause knee swelling by causing inflammation of knee joint with infective micro-organisms. This type of swelling occurs suddenly with sharp pain in joint, redness and elevated temperature of skin of joint. Sometimes fever also occur in this type of swelling which needs prompt treatment.
Tumour-
Certain type of tumour sometimes are culprit of knee swelling. If knee pain at night, night sweats, fever occur along with knee swelling; then it is indicating towards knee swelling caused by tumour. Tumour that cause swelling can be any, it can be malignant or it can be benign.
Reactive arthritis-
Knee swelling caused by this disease has inflammation as underlying cause, caused by micro-organisms. Pain, swelling, redness of knee joint along with stiffness occurs in this type of swelling.