What Causes Knee Arthritis?
There are several factors which have been found to predispose people to developing osteoarthritis in the knee joints:
Age
As you age it is normal for joint surfaces to “wear down”, especially the major weight bearing joints of the lower limb. The ability of joint cartilage to repair itself also declines as you grow older.
Weight
Your weight will directly affect the amount of load the joints in your lower limb have to support during weight bearing activities.
Previous Knee Joint Injury
Previous injury to your knee can change the biomechanics of your knee joint. This leads to abnormal distribution of load through the knee in everyday tasks.
Genetics
The gene that produces your articular knee cartilage is sometimes defective and can lead to either decreased lay down of cartilage, or normal lay down of defective cartilage on the joint surfaces.