Sports Medicine

Osteoarthritis and tendonitis

10/07/2009

Question:

I have had tendonitis since I was 16 years old, (I am now 25). It was so bad that I couldn`t walk up stairs without intense pain. When I was 21, I injured my knee and had to have ACL replacement surgery. It was replaced with a cadaver tendon. Unfortunately, the tendinitis came back in that knee, along with a throbbing knee pain, which was later diagnosed as osteoarthritis. I was wondering what kind of treatment I could receive since I have both problems in the same knee. It seems like any exercise I could do for the osteoarthritis would only make my tendinitis act up. I have an 18 month old daughter, and playing with her/chasing her around is starting to become so painful I avoid it as much as I can, and that kills me because she deserves a mom who can keep up with her.

Answer:

A physical therapist can evaluate your legs and answer that question more specifically. But in general, I would say that I would look at your shoes and hip strength to try to decrease stress on your knees from the joints above and below. Some knee braces could also help. For exercise, I might try aquatic exercise so you can strength without compression at your knee.

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Response by:

Tammy S. Wadsworth, PT MS OCS
Sports Medicine Team Member
OSU Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at Hilliard
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University