The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease. Osteoarthritis can develop due to the everyday wear-and-tear our knee joints are subjected to; however, osteoarthritis of the knee can also be related to overuse, obesity, genetic predisposition and trauma.

There are two main categories of osteoarthritis: primary and secondary. Primary osteoarthritis refers to the onset of a generalized condition occurring in the knees, fingers, thumbs, hips and spine that is brought about by normal wear-and-tear. Secondary osteoarthritis refers to the onset of osteoarthritis following an injury, inflammation or some other condition that affects the composition of the cartilage in the joint.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary, but typically include stiffness, inflammation and pain in the arthritic joint. If the knee sustains an injury or is overused, pain may appear suddenly and become severe quickly or the pain may come on gradually and slowly worsen.