Knee misaligned due to arthritis

Arthritis of the knee is a result of wearing away of the cartilage within the knee joint. Normally, cartilage protects a joint and allows it to move smoothly. When cartilage breaks down and wears away, the bones in the knee rub together, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. Over time, the breakdown of tissues within the joint can cause the bones in the knee to move out of their normal position or become misaligned. The joint may angle inward (knock-kneed) or angle outward (bow-legged).

Review Date: 6/20/2024
Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.