Osteoarthritis is frequently characterised as a condition of later life, but a significant proportion of patients present with symptomatic knee arthritis well before retirement age. Young onset arthritis — generally defined as arthritis developing before the age of fifty — presents particular challenges, not least because the management options must be calibrated to an active lifestyle and a longer time horizon than for older patients.
The causes of early-onset knee arthritis are varied. Previous joint injury, including meniscal tears, ligament damage, or intra-articular fractures, can accelerate cartilage wear. Malalignment of the lower limb, where the mechanical axis passes through one compartment of the knee rather than the centre of the joint, concentrates load and drives asymmetric degeneration. Inflammatory arthropathies, including rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, can also affect the knee joint at a younger age.
Early specialist assessment is important because the range of treatment options is widest when the disease is less advanced. Joint-preserving procedures — including osteotomy to correct alignment, cartilage regeneration techniques, and arthroscopic management of mechanical symptoms — can relieve pain, improve function, and buy meaningful time before a joint replacement becomes necessary.
Patients who notice persistent knee pain, stiffness that is worse in the morning, swelling after activity, or a gradual reduction in the activities they can manage comfortably are encouraged to seek an orthopaedic opinion sooner rather than later.
