Arthritis in knee at 26

[angryt]

Hi

I started getting pain in my upper tibia, right below my knee several months back for now apparent reason, I didn't fall or injure it,  the main pain being a deep and sharp pain when coming down the stairs, it got steadily worse, to the point where it hurts practially all the time, and I can barely use the stairs, up or down at all. I rested it for four weeks and it still got worse, the doctor said she didn't know and said it was probably tendonitis and to exercise it, which I tried to do, but it made it worse.

My brother who is a doctor said it was probably burstitis, and several weeks later I went to a&e in agony, and they did an xray and said it was arthritis.

But the pain is not in my knee, I rarely have stiffness, and never in the morning, the pain is much worse at night. It is a sharp agonizing pain worse when I bend my knee and bare weight, and is tender to the touch a couple of inches below the knee, tender and sensitive. It started out just feeling like a bruise, tender and sensitive. I am 26 years old, I am obese, and I know this can cause arthritis.

But I am concerned they missed something on the xray, they only really xrayed my knee, not my leg and the pain is just so bad. If I go walking, even a little while, it becomes unbearable.

Anti-inflammatories didn't help, which confused the a&e doctor, as she said they should help, she gave me coedine, but I am loathe to take it.

I don't know what to make of this pain, it isn't like pain when you pull a muscle, and at night it's a really deep pain, like something boring into the bone.

Does this sound like arthritis? What else could it be? Could they have missed something on the xray? Please help the pain is so bad.

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Friend,
In that case, i would suggest you to do a MRI screening of your affected limb.
It will rule out "Other Bone Diseases".
Regards

[angryt]

Thanks for your reply/

I have had most of those tests done last year, apart from RA factor and everything was fine except a slightly high white count, and a slightly raised ESR.

I have been ill since august 2008, but the doctors don't know what it is, this though seems a different sort of pain and unrelated to my other symptoms.

So there's nothing else this could be? It just doesn't sound like the symptoms of arthritis that I read about, and surely the pain would be in my knee, not my leg?

[Abhijeet Ghosh]

Dear Angryt,
To be frank, after your detailed description of the problem, i think we can just go a step further to rule out "other bony diseases" excluding arthritis because of your age.
Please get the following blood checkup done and tell me about the report -
1) Complete Hemogram.
2) ESR
3) CRP
4) ASO
5) RA factor
6) Sr Albumin and Sr Globulin
7) Alkaline Phosphatase

Once these investigations are done, please post the results.If there is any other disease, we will be able to rule out arthritis.Else we will keep the diagnosis as arthritis only.

Feel free to discuss more.
Regards