How Metabolic Disorders Damage Your Knees

The knee is the largest joint in the body and is considered the most complicated one. It enables hinge and rotator movements at it forms the connection between the upper and lower leg. Sometimes, the function of the knee can be affected by metabolic disorders. A metabolic disorder occurs when there is an alteration in normal metabolic process due to abnormal chemical reactions. This leads to an imbalance in the body metabolism as you will have too much or too little of essential substances.

The actual causes of metabolic disorders that affect the knee are unknown. However, we can still seek to understand the signs and symptoms of these disorders.

Gout

It is a form of acute arthritis which causes severe pain and swelling in the joints such as the knee, ankle, and heel. It is an inflammatory condition which is characterized by intense pain, swelling, and redness of the knee joint. Gout develops due to increased level of uric acid in the blood or hyperuricemia.

The common symptoms include Pain, Tenderness, Redness, Warmth and swelling of the knee joint, Inflammation, Mild fever.

Osteomalacia

Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones that occur due to inadequate levels of phosphate, calcium and vitamin D or resorption of calcium. Osteomalacia is commonly caused by vitamin D deficiency. The other two causes are insufficient calcium absorption from the intestine and phosphate deficiency caused by increased renal losses. The signs and symptoms include diffused joints and bone pain, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, hypocalcemia, pelvic flattening and bending of the bones.

Chondrocalcinosis

Chondracalcinosis is characterized by deposits of calcium pyrophosphate dehydrate crystals in one or more joint cartilages resulting in damage to the joints. It commonly affects the knee. It occurs in a hereditary form associate with metabolic disorders. The sign and symptoms include swelling, stiffness and pain.

Paget’s disease

Paget’s disease occurs due to excessive breakdown or formation of bone. This causes the bone to grow larger and weaker than normal, leading to the risk of fracture. The disease may affect more than one bone and occurs commonly in the knees, skull and hip joints, etc. The sign and symptoms include pain, bending of the bones and tingling and weakness.