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What Do Swelling And Tenderness In The Knees Indicate?
My knee is swollen. I have had issues with it for several months. I noticed today that it is very swollen, is tender to the touch an when trying to straighten it out. I also have heat as well as redness and have been chilling. What would you recommend.
Wed, 28 Mar 2018
Hello,
Based on the given history you seem to be suffering from septic arthritis of the knee joint. It is due to inflammation of a joint that's usually caused by bacteria. It typically affects one large joint in the body, such as the knee or hip.
Existing joint problems such as osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus can increase your risk of septic arthritis, as can an artificial joint, previous joint surgery and joint injury. I advise you to consult an orthopedic surgeon for proper clinical examination and to carry out certain lab tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Your doctor may aspirate the fluid from the affected knee joint and this fluid would be analyzed for color, consistency, and the presence of white blood cells and the bacteria responsible for the infection based on which an appropriate antibiotic would be prescribed.
Your doctor may also recommend blood tests to determine if there are signs of infection in your blood and imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans of the affected joint to see if your joint has been damaged by the infection.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
Based on the given history you seem to be suffering from septic arthritis of the knee joint. It is due to inflammation of a joint that's usually caused by bacteria. It typically affects one large joint in the body, such as the knee or hip.
Existing joint problems such as osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis or lupus can increase your risk of septic arthritis, as can an artificial joint, previous joint surgery and joint injury. I advise you to consult an orthopedic surgeon for proper clinical examination and to carry out certain lab tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Your doctor may aspirate the fluid from the affected knee joint and this fluid would be analyzed for color, consistency, and the presence of white blood cells and the bacteria responsible for the infection based on which an appropriate antibiotic would be prescribed.
Your doctor may also recommend blood tests to determine if there are signs of infection in your blood and imaging tests such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans of the affected joint to see if your joint has been damaged by the infection.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Mohammed Taher Ali
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