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6 Knee Injuries That Can Cause Arthritis

September 18, 2024

Even if your knee injury feels fully healed, your body might still remember.

“Although we can directly link only a small percentage of knee arthritis cases to a specific event or injury, minor injuries that we often dismiss as ‘no big deal’ can add up over time and eventually cause knee arthritis,” says Carl Nissen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with the Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital.

Here’s what you need to know about common knee injuries that can lead to arthritis and how to protect your knees.

1. Traumatic injury

Injuries to the knee — whether they’re from sports, accidents or falls — can lead to significant changes in the joint.

“These changes, including damage to the articular cartilage and alterations in the knee’s biomechanics, can eventually lead to the development of arthritis,” explains Dr. Nissen.

This post-traumatic arthritis isn’t immediate, though.

“Arthritis resulting from a knee injury can take up to 20 years to surface,” adds Dr. Nissen.

> Related: Is Arthritis Causing Your Hip or Knee Pain? If You’re 1 in 4 Americans, the Answer’s Likely Yes

2. Overuse

For active individuals, especially athletes who participate in high-impact activities, overuse is a big risk factor for arthritis.

Running, jumping or even repetitive motions like squatting can all take their toll on the knees, especially when there’s not enough rest incorporated.

“While trauma is a significant precursor to knee arthritis, the most common cause is overuse,” says Dr. Nissen. “The knee doesn’t have time to recover with repetitive activities. Minor injuries that don’t heal properly can eventually lead to major problems.”

3. ACL injuries

ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries are usually successfully repaired through surgery. But unfortunately, it doesn’t always restore the knee the its pre-injury state.

“Despite our best efforts to repair ACL tears, the resulting changes in gait and running patterns are often permanent,” says Dr. Nissen. “These alterations can lead to abnormal stress on the articular cartilage.”

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4. Meniscus tears

Meniscus tears are the most common arthroscopically treated knee injury, with more than 200,000 procedures performed annually in the U.S. alone. These surgeries are typically done to relieve the pain caused by a torn meniscus.

But even after surgery, the knee may still be at risk.

“Unfortunately, both the torn meniscus and its removal increase the stress on the articular cartilage,” explains Dr. Nissen. “This added stress can eventually lead to arthritis.”

5. Knee alignment

Although not technically an injury, alignment issues commonly cause knee arthritis. Generally, men are more likely to be bowlegged, while women tend to be knock-kneed.

“These abnormal alignments can lead to different types of knee arthritis,” explains Dr. Nissen. “Men are more prone to medial knee arthritis, while women often develop patellofemoral arthritis.”

6. Infection

Although infections in the knee are uncommon, they are very serious when they do occur.

“An infected knee, known as a septic knee, can cause significant metabolic changes to the articular cartilage, leading to knee arthritis,” says Dr. Nissen.

How to protect your knees from arthritis.

Age alone doesn’t cause arthritis. But there are things you can do to make sure your knees stay supported.

Dr. Nissen shares a few simple tips:

1. Maintain a healthy weight to reduce added stress to your knees.
2. Stretch often to maintain a normal range of motion.
3. Exercise regularly to strengthen your knees, hips and core.
4. See your doctor for deep aches, swelling or knee pain.

“Knee arthritis will happen in everyone if they live long enough,” adds Dr. Nissen. “Our bodies are not built to live forever, but maintaining good knee health will prolong or delay the onset of knee arthritis.”