What are the stages of arthritis of the knee?

What are the stages of arthritis of the knee?

There are five stages of osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis that affects your knees:

• Stage 0 (Normal). If you’re at stage 0, your knees are healthy. You don’t have arthritis of the knee.
• Stage 1 (Minor). Stage 1 means that you’ve got some wear and tear in your knee joint. You probably won’t notice pain.
• Stage 2 (Mild). The mild stage is when you might start to feel pain and stiffness, but there’s still enough cartilage to keep the bones from actually touching.
• Stage 3 (Moderate). If you’re at the moderate stage, you’ll have more pain, especially when running, walking, squatting, and kneeling. You’ll likely notice it after long periods of rest (like first thing in the morning). You're probably in a great deal of pain because the cartilage has narrowed even further and there are many bone spurs.
• Stage 4 (Severe). Severe osteoarthritis means that the cartilage is almost gone. Your knee is stiff, painful and possibly immobile. You might need surgery.