Loose Bodies in Knee

Loose Bodies in Knee

Pieces of bone or tissue (loose bodies) from a fracture or dislocation that may get caught in the joint and interfere with movement. It’s important to remove loose bodies early to avoid cartilage damage. 

Loose Bodies in Knee
Loose Bodies in Knee

What are loose bodies in knee?

Inside the knee joint, loose bodies are fragments of detached cartilage or bone. Additionally, may be trapped (stable) within the joint or fragments may be free floating (unstable). Depending on the severity of the trauma, you may have one or more loose bodies in or around your knee joint.

Do loose bodies heal on there own?

Unfortunately, no, this will not happen without medical intervention. Loose bodies in knee won’t simply disappear on their own. Carolinas Pain Center will help evaluate your knee pain to figure out if this is what is causing you knee pain.  However, our providers and pain specialists will offer an individualized, multidisciplinary approach to care and treatment plan.

These loose bodies can hinder the joint moment by getting caught in flexion and extension movements. For example, they can vary in size from a few millimeters (such as the size of a small pill) to a few centimeters (the size of a quarter). In addition, the fragments can lead to damage to the articular cartilage, causing osteoarthritis.

In conclusion, our unique approach to pain management is a specialty at Carolinas Pain Center.  As a result each patient receives an individualized, multidisciplinary approach to care and treatment plan. We have two conveniently located offices in Huntersville, NC and Charlotte, NC.

References-

Jeffrey L Jackson Patrick G O’MalleyKurt Kroenke 2003 Oct 7;139(7):575-88. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-139-7-200310070-00010. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14530229/
2018 Oct 19;13(1):258. doi: 10.1186/s13018-018-0966-z. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30340605/